Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Egan will be one of the sports stars and managers lining out to speak on Achieving Success in Sport - What does it take? - a free, public seminar taking place in Westport Town Hall on Wednesday, November 11th starting at 7:30 pm.

Kenneth, or Kenny, will be joined by James Horan, Former Mayo Senior Football Manager, Valerie Mulcahy, one of the country's most decorated sportswomen having claimed nine All-Ireland titles with the Cork Ladies Football side and Tom Mohan current manager of the FAI U17 national team. A member of the Connacht Rugby Team is also expected to join the panel but his name has not been confirmed at time of going to print. The seminar will be chaired by Ballinrobe native and well-known GAA commentator Liam Horan. Also speaking is Brendan Murphy, Drugs Service Regional Training Officer with the HSE and expert on substance use within sport.

The seminar is part of the Western Region Drug & Alcohol Awareness Week. It is being organized by the Western Region Drugs Task Force (WRDTF), in partnership with Mayo Sports Partnership and Mayo County Council.

The open forum will explore all aspects of sporting life including issues such as the relationship between sport and physical, emotional and mental health, the link between sport and alcohol in society, the demands and pressures on high performance athletes, the impact of performance enhancing substances and the importance of leadership, management and preparation so that teams and individuals can make winning a habit.

"We are really excited about the range and calibre of speakers we have this year," said Pat Conway, Mayo Community Liaison Officer for the WRDTF. "They have all risen to the top in their sports through hard work and determination.

He said that staying active in sports is a great way to ensure that young people are less likely to start drinking early and to help ensure that they are more aware of the damaging impact that it can have on their health and wellbeing.

Sports Co-ordinator for the Mayo Sports Partnership Charlie Lambert added " We are delighted once again to work with the Western Regional Drug Task Force in increasing awareness of what it takes to be successful in modern day sport .One of the areas we will be looking at is performance enhancing substances and issues surrounding their use by sportspeople"

The organizers are encouraging everyone with an interest in sport - team and individual, competitive and leisure - to attend what promises to be a lively and honest look at some of the challenges and opportunities faced by modern sports people.

To book a place at the seminar, call Mayo Sports Partnership at 094-9047025 or email msp@mayococo.ie