Big birthday bash as Olympic heroine Mary Peters turns 80

The former athlete was marking her 80th birthday.

Attendees gathered at Titanic Belfast for a black-tie dinner tonight – one of a series of events organised to raise cash for ‘Mary’s Race to a Million’ campaign.

Launched two years ago, the initiative is more than two-thirds of the way to reaching its £1 million target which in intended to ensure funding and support for Northern Ireland’s future high-performance sportspeople.

Athletes presented a choregraphed performance alongside local choir Adoro – both created by top musical director and performer Ashley Fulton.

Belfast songwriter and singer Brian Kennedy gave a rendition of ‘Love, Life, Happiness’ and guests who travelled from across the water included decathlon star Daley Thompson and rower Katherine Grainger – both Olympic gold medallists.

Local sporting talent present to wish Lady Mary ‘Happy Birthday’ included rugby legends Willie-John McBride and Mike Gibson along with a representative squad from Ulster’s 1999 European Cup winning rugby team.

To highlight Dame Mary’s commitment to sport an exhibition – described by organisers as a “micro-museum” – of photographs and memorabilia was on show to illustrate Mary’s life.

It included Mary’s winning top and shoes from the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.