Eighteen months ago, there were serious question marks over Martina McMahon’s future in elite-level handball.
The Limerick left-hander sustained a serious back injury while playing soccer – an innocuous turn in which her feet remained planted and her back twisted violently – resulting in an L5 S1 spinal fusion.
The medics warned her career was in jeopardy and although she returned to top-level action her results dipped and, by her own admission, she was well below where she had been.
But McMahon kept her eyes on the prize and her determination was rewarded on Friday when she claimed an “extra special” victory winning the Ladies Open Singles title at the oneills.com World Wallball Championships at her alma mater, University of Limerick (UL).
The Broadford clubwoman was a convincing 21-10, 21-9 winner over Roscommon’s Fiona Tully to take the title in GAA Handball’s centenary year in front of a packed crowd of 1,000 spectators at UL.
“After the back surgery, it was a long road and there was talk that I’d never play again,” the 29-year-old said.
“Mentally, it was tougher than any physical pain from my back and I just felt the last couple of weeks that all my ducks were in a row. I just felt good, it’s probably the best the back has been.”
Serving powerfully, McMahon pinned Tully back and ended rallies with flaty kills off either hand en route to a convincing victory.
“It’s nearly like a dream, I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” she said.
“In 2018, I had a clean sweep of all the major events but after coming through this, this one supersedes it. Look, I’m back now, I’m feeling as good as ever and long may it continue.”
Meanwhile, the man’s game has a new kingpin after 22-year-old New Yorker Nazir Marston turned in a sensational performance to defeat compatriot Timothy Gonzalez 21-17, 21-17 in the Men’s Open Singles final.
Marston – who had turned back Irish hope Conor McElduff in the semi-final – put on an awesome display of athleticism, coming up with a streak of timely kills in the second game to close out the match. And ‘Nasty Naz’ sent out a warning to the opposition after his impressive win.
“Whoever run up, run up. I’m ready, I feel good, I feel amazing,” said the Brooklyn native.
“I feel like this has been the best I’ve been playing all year. The whole year was tough, it got to a point where I didn’t want to play in tournaments at all so I’m so happy now.”
