Neasa Russell is to be the new Sports Director with Paralympics Ireland and will lead Team Ireland to the Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles Paralympic Games as Chef de Mission.
Russell has been appointed following an extensive recruitment process and comes with a very strong background in performance sport.
The Galway native is relocating back to Ireland following a career spent in the UK where she was most recently the Head of talent ID with Sport England. Prior to that, she was the Lead Performance Pathway Scientist at the English Institute of Sport in Bisham Abbey UK Sport and for five years through the London 2012 cycle, she was the Start Coach with The GB Rowing team.
After qualifying with a degree in Applied Physics and Electronics from Galway, she did a Masters in Computer and Communications Systems at the University of Limerick and spent a first career in that sector before switching to sport with a development and coaching role in Rowing Ireland that led to a move to England after the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
As Sports Director, Russell will play a key role in driving the future of Para Sport in Ireland, working closely with the Performance Director of Paralympics Ireland, Dave Malone.
“I feel very privileged to be joining Paralympics Ireland and becoming part of such a positive and inclusive sporting movement,” said Russell.
“I am really looking forward to the prospect of supporting Team Ireland in what will be an extraordinary Paralympic Games in Tokyo. I am also very grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our partners in the Paralympic community and the wider sport sector.”
“I think there is great scope to grow the para-sport system so people can reach their potential in sport and life.”
“On behalf of everyone at Paralympics Ireland I would like to welcome Neasa Russell into the role of Sports Director,” added CEO Miriam Malone.
“We are delighted to have Neasa join our team in this exciting role and I very much look forward to working with her in the lead up to the Paralympic Games and beyond.”
Paralympics Ireland is among more than 250+ members of the Sport for Business network of sporting and business organisations working together across a number of key areas.
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