Mary Parr competed in the women’s 400 metres hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Her route to the Olympic Games was one of the most dramatic of any Irish athlete at those Games. With the entry deadline just 24 hours away, a ‘hand-timed run of 58.3 seconds’ in the 400m hurdles at a triangular international between Ireland, England and Belgium earned Parr the qualification standard – described by journalist Peter Byrne as ‘the most gratifying success story of the season in domestic athletics’ as she achieved career-best figures in three successive races to earn her Los Angeles ticket.