A new fast track squad of Paralympic athletes has been formed to prepare for Rio 2016 including a number discovered at the Cadbury sponsored Paralympic Talent Search day following London 2012.
The event was seen as a way of extending Cadbury’s involvement with Paralympics Ireland and aimed at encouraging people with a physical disability to get involved in sport and to unearth potential talent for Rio 2016.
It gave hundreds of people the opportunity to experience Paralympic sport while a number of athletes with high potential were identified, ten of whom are now part of the Fast Track squad.
Double Paralympic gold medallists Michael McKillop and Mark Rohan met the squad at Morton Stadium in Santry on Wednesday and delivered a master class ‘mentor session’ to to athletes Lee Ward, Heather Jameson and Niamh McCarthy; cyclists Peter Ryan, Paul Gale, Anne-Marie Flaherty and Paul O’Flaherty; and rowers Katie O’Brien, Keith Connolly and Tom Kelly.
The squad also completed a special cross-discipline training session.
“The success of the 2012 Irish Paralympic Team triggered huge admiration and national pride,” said Paralympics Ireland CEO Liam Harbison.
“The superb attendance at last October’s Paralympic Talent Search event was testament also to the Cadbury sponsorship and it is great to see the subsequent progress of our new Fast Track squad. We are planning for Rio 2016 and we hope that some of these athletes can earn selection for the Irish team.”
“There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in Paralympic sport in Ireland and Cadbury is proud to partner Paralympics Ireland,” added Justin Cook, Managing Director of Mondelez, the parent company of Cadbury.
“The Irish Paralympic Team truly inspired the nation last summer and we were thrilled that so many people turned out for the Paralympic Talent Search. The Fast Track Squad has been a real success with many showing great potential for the future already.”
In recent weeks Paralympics Ireland has also announced the extension of Allianz as a main sponsor through to Rio 2016.
In October the Congress of the European Paralympic Movement will be held in Dublin, acting further to strengthen Ireland’s standing among the power brokers of the movement at international level.
Sports Tourism Seminar at Croke Park (September 19th)
Sport for Business 20/20 at Ulster Bank HQ (October 8th)
The Business of Youth Sport Seminar (November 28th)
