Mary Peters: My Story

Celebrating the launch of her captivating memoir, My Story, Mary Peters invites you into her extraordinary journey. From her triumphant gold medal win in the pentathlon at the 1972 Munich Olympics to her enduring dedication as a beloved figure in Northern Ireland’s sports community, Mary’s story is one of inspiration and resilience.

Renowned Sports Editor and Reporter, Jim Gracey, will guide us through a riveting interview, delving into Mary’s remarkable life and commitment to sport and the community. This event promises insights, anecdotes, and a glimpse into the life of a true trailblazer and one of Northern Ireland’s true sporting legends.

Copies of the book will be available to buy on the evening of this event.

About Lady Mary Peters

Lady Mary Peters was born in Halewood, England, in 1939. At the age of eleven, she moved to Northern Ireland, and it was there that she discovered an aptitude for sports. Between 1958 and 1974, she represented Northern Ireland at every Commonwealth Games, winning two gold medals for the pentathlon, and a gold and a silver medal for the shot-put. In 1972, she won the gold medal for the pentathlon at the Munich Olympics and the same year won the award for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. She has since dedicated her energies to charitable work through the Mary Peters Track and her sports trust, the Mary Peters Trust, which funds talented young sportspeople. In 1973 she was awarded an MBE, and over the years has received a CBE, a DBE and a CH for her services to sport and the community in Northern Ireland. In 2009 she was named the Lord Lieutenant of the City of Belfast, and she is also a Freeman of the Cities of Lisburn and Belfast. In 2017, she was made a Dame of the Order of Saint John (DStJ), and in 2019 was appointed as a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter (LG).

About Jim Gracey

Jim Gracey is the former Group Sports Editor of Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life, having served the titles over a period of 42 years until his early retirement in December 2021. Joining the Telegraph from his hometown Lurgan Mail in 1979, he was also part of the launch team of Sunday Life in 1988. In that time, he progressed from an ‘on the road’ sports journalist’s role to Sports Editor of both titles and, finally, overall Group Sports Editor.

His career took him to six football World Cups, European Championships, numerous Northern Ireland international games, home and away, and many hundreds of domestic club games and Cup finals. Dividing his time between Northern Ireland and Spain, he continues to provide sporting commentary for television and radio and edits the newly launched Local Women Sport magazine on a part-time basis, providing a unique platform for female sport in Northern Ireland.