This week on The GAA Social, hosts Thomas Niblock and Oisin McConville sit down with former Tyrone footballer Catriona McGahan—a player whose story of resilience is as inspiring as her time on the pitch.

McGahan’s life took an unexpected turn last summer when a fall during a holiday in France with her husband, Glen, left her using a wheelchair. While she doesn’t recall the accident itself, her mindset since returning home is nothing short of remarkable.

"I’m going to keep tipping away, I’m going to keep working at my exercises," she shares with a determined tone. "That’s it for me. That’s how I see it. We do our exercises Monday through Friday, focusing on small movements around the pelvic area. Coming from a Pilates background, I think about pelvic flow and all that. To me, it’s tiny—but it’s a small inch I’ll take, and that’s enough."

The support from the GAA community has been overwhelming. Last month, Ulster Ladies Gaelic organized a wheelchair football tournament in Tyrone, an event that left McGahan deeply moved. "I’m completely blown away," she says. "The GAA family—especially the Tyrone ladies, Ulster ladies, and my former teammates—all traveled in for the wheelchair games. The football family has been amazing. And to Eilis Gormley, a former Tyrone player, on a personal note—she’s been a phenomenal girl."

McGahan’s story is a powerful reminder of the grit and camaraderie that define Gaelic games, both on and off the field. Whether you’re hitting the pitch or staying active in your own way, her spirit is one we can all draw from.