The village of Clarinbridge in Co Galway is buzzing with plans for a homecoming on Sunday to celebrate their "golden girl" Máire Connolly.
The 21-year-old took gold for Team Ireland in the Special Olympics Winter Games in Turin in Italy.
She and her family travelled weekly to the Special Olympics ski club in Kilternan in Dublin, where she did intensive training on dry slopes. This week her parents Ber and Mike and her brother Eoin were in Turin to watch her golden moment in Giant Slalom Skiing.
"It means everything to me. Winning a gold medal in Olympic skiing is very hard and I did it," said Máire.
She is now taking time out with her family, relatives and friends who have also travelled to Turin.
"We're bursting with pride for her achievement"
The Connolly family are avid skiers and have been nurturing Máire's talent and love for the slopes for over a decade.
Speaking from Italy, her mother said: "When we started our ski trips we didn't want to leave Máire out so we nudged her along gently and brought her across the country weekly to build up her confidence.
"Kilternan was a terrific place for her to train and make new friends. She herself wanted to keep up that level of dedication and put the hours and months and years in. We're bursting with pride for her achievement."
Máire's Dad Mike agreed.
"We are just so thrilled and proud to see how her discipline and hard work has culminated in a gold medal at these Winter Olympics.
"I can still remember her as a young girl skiing for the first time on actual real snow in Austria. She was a natural and her talent and ability flourished."
"She has taken us to places where we would never have gone, and we have met great people," her mother added.
"Máire doesn't really have a filter, and she has a different way of looking at the world. It's given us as a family a great perspective on life and we've grown hugely thanks to Máire."
Her brother Eoin is also immensely proud and describes his sister as "the most honest person we know in terms of sharing her feelings and how she speaks and sees the world. There is no pulling the wool over her eyes, she keeps us all on the straight and narrow and she is just the funniest person."
"It is important for us to note that nothing like this could happen without the infrastructure and the training and clubs that are available on a grassroots level, a structure which is largely volunteer led," said Ryan Platts of Special Olympics Ireland.
"The games are the most outwardly visible expression of this work, but it's just the tip of the iceberg regarding the time and energy that goes into each game.
"Our athletes are supported by their communities, and we are always trying to remind people that it is not just about games taking place every two years, it is very much a week in and week out endeavour on a local level.
"We are always looking for volunteers and athletes to take part in Special Olympics Ireland."
Máire also won a bronze medal in another slalom competition, and she competes again tomorrow before flying back to Dublin and on to Clarinbridge where a party is planned.
