Special Olympics Ireland is flying out its largest ever team of participants in a Winter Games this morning.
The team of 26 floor ball players and alpine skiers will depart Dublin Airport this morning, flying with partner Aer Lingus, and touch down in Austria in time to be part of 2017’s biggest international gathering of sporting participants.
Sport for Business caught up with Special Olympics Ireland’s Head of Delegation Karen Coventry before she flew to give us an insight into how big and how important the winter games are.
“We have two teams of Floor Ball players who have been in training for a year to reach this level as well as six Alpine skiers ready to play their part in the Games.”
“They will be joined by 83 family members travelling as accredited members of the party and another 90 helpers who have raised money to help with the €3,000 a head preparation costs for the team members and who will join 107 nationalities in Graz for Saturday’s opening ceremony.”
“It’s a bigger team than we have ever sent before,” said Coventry who took up this role a year ago and has been putting all the pieces together over the past 12 months.
“The teams have come together for training at Loughlinstown and Kilternan in Dublin as well as Athlone and Killarney for one day sessions in the floor ball.”
“Getting ready and qualifying from our national games is a huge undertaking and the teams will look to emulate the enjoyment and success of the team we brought to Los Angeles for the the most recent World Summer Games.”
“There is massive effort from them, their families and the support teams of volunteers and coaches around the country.”
“Austria will be a an occasion to live long in the memory and we will hopefully bring joy and a sense of what is possible back to people at home.”
Special Olympics Ireland preparation for the games has been helped enormously by the support of commercial partners eir, Aer Lingus and Gala Retail.
