The core messages that I’ve written about in The Whistleblower’s Secrets are: if I can do it, anyone can do it; never, ever give up, and hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.
Mary Whelan is the author of The Whistleblower’s Secrets (Europe Books)
by Mary Whelan
In The Whistleblower’s Secrets I write of my own journey, from the loneliness and piercing isolation of being a deaf schoolgirl, to becoming a history maker.
From a traumatic childhood with deafness as my constant companion and the many lonely hours that I spent outdoors on the schoolyard basketball court, my perseverance, patience, repetition, commitment and dedication took me to the prestige, glitz and glamour of the packed indoor international basketball arena—despite being only 5’1” in height!
Basketball
My story describes the reality of living with the trauma of an invisible disability, its impact on my family life and its negative repercussions on my education.
It also details how it adversely affected my ability to participate in groups and socialise with other children and form friendships.
Basketball became my way of coping with the trauma and a saving grace from the loneliness and isolation.
It offered me an opportunity to unearth my hidden talent, which developed into an intense passion for the game—and to express emotions of frustration and anger which were part and parcel of my disability.
Fast forward to my twenties, when I had not only regained my hearing but had progressed to the top level of my playing career both in Dublin and nationally. I subsequently went on to make history by becoming the first female Grade 1 and FIBA International referee in Ireland.
Breaking through
The main challenge for me here was breaking through a male-dominated world and the societal norms and expectations for women.
In the Ireland of the 1980s women were essentially tied to the kitchen sink, had to stay at home, and were deemed inferior to men.
So as a young international referee, my gallivanting all over Ireland and Europe wasn’t the done thing.
Just when I was on the crest of a wave, I was hit again by trauma outside of my control, which threw my life into total disarray.
It was the positive relationships and role models in my life that fuelled my fighting spirit which then helped me to overcome this huge adversity, to rise like a phoenix from the ashes to reach the pinnacle of my success once more.
Secrets to success
The core messages that I’ve written about in The Whistleblower’s Secrets are: if I can do it, anyone can do it; never, ever give up, and hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.
It is a book that holds the secrets to success, my success.
Through my story I show that life is not easy, it is hard, but with the right attitude, the right role models, the help and support of the right people it is possible to achieve life’s aspirations.
It’s possible to realise all your dreams—even those that seem most difficult, and even when everything seems impossible.
