Atlantic rowers Dr Karen Weekes and Damian Browne, sea swimmer Jane Curtin and kayaker Dan Clohisey are among winners at the annual Outsider magazine awards.
The awards sponsored by Sport Ireland celebrate “people and organisations who are doing amazing things outside mainstream sport on the Irish outdoor and adventure scene”.
Hosted by Outsider Magazine, they were conferred on Wednesday, Feb 1st, by Mike Sheridan at the Sugar Club in Dublin’s Leeson Street.
Sea swimmer Jane Curtin from Co Clare received the “Audience Choice” and “Olly O’Neill Most Inspiring Person” awards. After her husband took his own life in 2013, the mother of two young children set up a swimming group called Snámhaí Sásta.
Outsider Man of the Year Damian Browne with Gavin Fox from sponsor Craghoppers at the Outsider People of the Year Awards 2022 sponsored by Sport Ireland and held at the Sugar Club-photo Kieran Harnett
The group helps people to “get outside, meet others, and get through difficult times in their lives, while also feeling part of a community”. In December 2022, Curtin swam in the sea three times per day for 21 days to raise money for the Mid West Simon Community, raising a whopping €100,000.
Dr Karen Weekes (55), who spent 80 days at sea as she rowed across the Atlantic solo, was named “Outsider Woman of the Year”. Making the 3,000-mile journey from the Canaries to Barbados, she battled enormous waves that threatened to capsize her in the middle of nowhere. Despite all the threats and dangers, she became the first Irish woman to row solo across the Atlantic.
“Outsider Man of the Year” is Galwegian Damian Browne, who set off from Manhattan with Fergus Farrell in June 2022, aiming to set a new world-record for a two-man row across the Atlantic.
Farrell, who overcame his own serious injuries and learned to walk again several years before, had to be medically evacuated Over the 100 days that followed, Browne experienced the best and the worst of the Atlantic Ocean. He arrived in Galway in early October 2022 after more 2,686 hours at sea and more than 3,450 nautical miles rowed.
“Breakthrough Achievement” award was given to kayaker Dan Clohisey (16), who has proven himself to be a formidable outdoorsman. While competing at a high level in his own sport of freestyle kayaking, he also finds the time to mentor and support his peers and volunteer adults in skills training and activity management.
This year, he competed at the Freestyle Kayaking World Championships , and has been a key player and a role-model supporting water activities at Malahide Sea Scouts in north Dublin.
“Eco Hero” Award was conferred on Flossie Donnelly, aged 15, who started a beach cleaning club at the age of nine. In 2018 she held two fundraisers to get the first two sea bins installed in Ireland. The same year, she organised a march for the oceans where 500 people attended, and she also gave a Ted Talk in Dun Laoghaire. She then started climate striking weekly in Ireland.
The following year, Flossie spoke in front of 12,000 people at the global climate strike and, together with her mum Harriet, started Flossie and the Beach Cleaners as a charity.
“Most Devoted Individual to the Outdoor Scene” Award was given to adventure photographer John Shiels who has also been an active member of the Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team.
Swim in Pink, which raises money for breast cancer research, was named “Best Outdoor Adventure” event, and Clifden Eco-Camping in Connemara was named as “Best Outdoor Escape”.
The Croagh Patrick Ambassador Programme was selected for the “Eco Hero Group Award”.
