Irish Times/Vhi Healthcare Sports Woman Award for February:It's quite a trip from Raphoe, Co Donegal to Jönköping, Sweden, but Chloe Magee is hopeful it will simply prove to be the first leg of a fruitful journey in the world of badminton, her dream destination the Olympic Games.

It's over two years since the 18-year-old made her senior international debut, in a Triangular event against Wales and Scotland. So young was she there was barely a blink when she lost her first set against Wales' world-ranked Harriet Johnson, 5-11, but when she came back to take the next two, 11-5, 11-7, to win the match she simply confirmed what those in the know already suspected: Irish badminton had a real talent on its hands.

She came by it honestly. "I was into every sport when I was younger but my Dad was a good badminton player so it was natural enough that I took a big interest in it," she says.

And if you take a look through the roll of honour from the 2007 Irish Badminton Championships you'll spot another couple of Magees who followed in their father's footsteps, younger brothers Sam and Daniel, winners of the men's doubles' title.

"And there's Josh too," she says, "he's only 12, but he's good."

Chloe, Sam, Daniel and Josh are but half of the Magee clan - there are two more brothers and two more sisters - but she insists her move to Sweden was part of her quest to take herself to a higher level in badminton, rather than the pursuit of some peace and quiet.

"Denmark is the stronger badminton country but the reason I'm here is because the coach is Tom Reidy," she says, "and I'm learning so much from him."

Limerick-born Reidy has the Olympic pedigree Magee is seeking, having represented the USA at the 1992 Games, and is now coaching Jönköping club BMK Watterstad, currently top of the Swedish league - with Magee's assistance.

"I train twice a day, morning and evening, from Monday to Thursday, once on a Friday and then it's just running on a Saturday. Although most weekends I'm away playing tournaments, so, it's definitely full-time badminton."

Earlier this month Magee was awarded a €10,000 grant by the Irish Sports Council, along with the Denmark-based Clare woman Ruth Kilkenny (22), under the development category, a boost she warmly welcomes.

"It's massive for me, it really is. Until now I was relying on my parents and Badminton Ireland, but this just means I don't have to worry as much about money, I can just concentrate on badminton, and that means everything."

"Long term, definitely, my dream is to make it to the Olympics, but there's a long way to go before that. I have the European Junior Championships in Germany at the end of the month, and I think I can do well there, so that's the only thing on my mind for now."

It has been an encouraging year so far for the teenager. In January she helped Ireland to the final of the Helvetia Cup, the European B Championships, securing qualification for the A event, and last month she won the singles title at the national championships, also taking the doubles' crown with Karen Bing, as well as winning the singles at the Leinster Open.

Magee is already ranked in the European top 50, while her world doubles ranking with Bing is now up to 42.

"We've had a really good year so far, I've learnt so much from Karen," she says of the Chinese-born Irish international, "it's brilliant playing with her."

And with that she's back to training in Jönköping, a town, she says, is "an hour from Gothenburg". It's best known as the birthplace of Abba's Agnetha (the blonde one).

If you need a measure of just how young Chloe Magee is . . . she was born 17 years after Jönköping's most famous native won the Eurovision with Waterloo.

MONTHLY WINNERS:January - Marie Breen (Basketball): The 21-year-old captained Glanmire to victory in the Superleague National Cup final, producing an outstanding display against reigning champions University of Limerick. Breen scored 29 points, 12 of them coming in the crucial final quarter, and was named the final's "Most Valuable Player".

•Each sportswoman is eligible for just one monthly award, but her achievements through the year will be taken into account by the panel of judges when the decision on the overall winner is made.