The Tipperary native won gold with her mixed relay team at the 2024 European Championships and competed in last year’s Paris Olympic Games for Ireland.
The Irish track star has already achieved a huge amount in her career, and like every athlete, there comes an end point. Some don't define a date and keep going until the body won't let them, while others bow out at different times.
However, Mawdsley gave an interview with the Irish Independent this week and confirmed to Aoife Rooney that she plans to bow out when the Los Angeles Games end in 2028. She confirmed that her plans involve becoming a mother, likely after 2028, in about three and a half years’ time.
"I definitely want to be a mother, so my plan is to run until 2028 and then retire," said the 26-year-old to the Irish Independent.
Mawdsley also confirmed in the interview that she had aspirations to retire after Paris but changed her retirement date after seeing how well things were going last summer. She is now happy to end it all in LA.
"I always said I would retire in 2024, but because things are going well and I’ll be 30 in 2028, that will be enough. I definitely want to do something other than athletics, but I will be really happy if I make it to the LA Olympics and finish there. If I don’t have to sit at a desk for the next four years, I’ll be pretty happy."
Being a sports star, you are expected to be a role model for many, including the younger generation. This is especially pertinent for female Irish sports stars. Katie McCabe and Rachael Blackmore are key examples of this and have highlighted how important it is in the past.
Members of the Ireland team, from left, Sophie Becker, Sharlene Mawdsley and Phil Healy after finishing 4th in 4x400metre relay final at the Stade de France during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo By Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)Mawdsley claimed the majority of appreciation she has received has been for the service she has provided for their daughters, etc.
"Mostly I don’t think twice about it, but then you are walking down the street with your groceries and someone stops you for a picture. The crying on TV was a big one because it showed people how much it meant to us. I am sitting here at the track and these are the days that no one sees—you have to dig in and do the work. The majority of the attention has been good—I get messages from mothers all the time saying how much of an impact it has on their daughters."
However, being a sports star and public face can come with unwanted trolling, and Mawdsley is no different from others who have received it.
The Tipperary native admitted that she isn't afraid to clap back at the trolls.
"I definitely get comments. Someone posted under one of my training posts last week: 'All of this training for fourth at the Olympics.' Sometimes I’ll bark back and say, 'How did you get on at the Olympics?'"
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