Member's statement: Sarah Armstrong: Mount Everest
Member's statement by Ms Aoife Finnegan on .
- MLA
- Ms Aoife Finnegan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 26 May 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Sarah Armstrong: Mount Everest
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5582306
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I pay tribute to an extraordinary woman from south Armagh who has just made history. Last week, Sarah Armstrong from Crossmaglen stood on the highest point on earth when she successfully summited Mount Everest. For most people, Everest is a dream. For Sarah, it became a goal. Through determination, resilience and hard work, she turned that dream into a reality. As she grew up in south Armagh, sport has always been at the heart of Sarah's life from representing Ireland at netball and captaining Ireland at the World Youth Cup to building a successful career in dentistry and establishing her practice in Jonesborough. Sarah has always pushed herself to achieve more, but what makes her achievement special is that she has never focused solely on her own success. For years, she has inspired and empowered others through fitness, sport and community leadership. She has encouraged women across south Armagh to step outside their comfort zone, build their confidence and believe in themselves. She has supported women through some of life's toughest challenges and has shown that sport can be a powerful force for resilience, well-being and friendship. Everest may be the highest mountain in the world, but Sarah's greatest achievement has always been lifting others up along the way. As Sarah makes her way across the skies back to Irish soil, she returns not only as an Everest summiteer but as an inspiration to an entire generation of young people who now know that no dream is too big and no mountain is too high. Sarah, we are proud of you, your community is proud of you, and your friends and family love and support you. We are all immensely proud of everything that you have achieved. Crossmaglen cannot wait to welcome you home.
294 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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