Paralympics Ireland are heading north to bring their Permanent TSB NextGen athlete recruitment campaign to Lisburn Racquets Club, Lisburn on June 24th for the third instalment of four regional events that aim to discover the next generation of Irish Paralympians.
Permanent TSB NextGen is a one-day regional opportunity for young athletes interested in para sport to discover their paralympic potential through a range of physical challenges and exploring different Paralympic sports.
Northern Ireland can claim the honour of being home to Ireland’s greatest Para athlete, Jason Smyth who is the athlete ambassador for the Lisburn NextGen event.
The Derry native represented Ireland at four Paralympic Games (Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2021), and remained unbeaten throughout a career which began at the 2005 European Championships.
Smyth has less than 10% vision due to an eye condition known as Stargardt’s Disease which he was diagnosed with at the age of eight. His focus however has never been what he can’t do rather, what is possible when the right attitude is cultivated to motivate yourself against the odds.
He has also competed in non-Paralympic athletics winning two Athletics Ireland National Championships in the 100m and representing Ireland at two European Athletics Championships where he reached the semi-finals as well as the World Athletics Championships, making him the first ever Paralympian to compete in those events.
Smyth also represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. He has run 100m in 10.22 seconds making him the 3rd fastest 100m sprinter in Irish history and the fastest in Northern Irish history.
With a final haul of 21 gold medals across multiple international competitions he has been described by his peers as one of the most technically gifted sprinters alive. Smyth announced his retirement from sport in April this year and has taken up the role of Strategy Manager with Paralympics Ireland ensuring that his vast experience will continue to positively influence para sport in Ireland beyond his exploits on the track.
“It’s vitally important to the next generation of para-athletes in Ireland,” said Smyth.
“The fact that we’re able to bring it to the four different regions within the country really opens the accessibility of it for people with disabilities in those local areas to get involved and to find out what are the sports available to them in their area. But also, to get a sense of where their strengths lie by participating in the different tests on the day. It’s an exciting time and the future of para sport certainly looks bright with initiatives like this being rolled out with such great support from the Paralympics Ireland team and Permanent TSB.”
Sport for Business Perspective
Inspiration is an integral part of why people get involved in sport, and to be inspired from a position of living with a disability and being told what you can’t do, is priceless.
This is a great initiative and to have the support of a sporting legend like Jason Smyth can only make it better.
