WITH the Paralympic Games kicking off this week in Paris, huge support on Shannonside has shown out for the athletes set to give it their all over the coming days.
One local group, the Limerick Multi-Sports Club (LMSC), has sent special wishes to the Limerick branch of Team Ireland as they take to the world stage in Paris.
The club, part of the Irish Wheelchair Association Sport (IWA Sport) organisation, provides children and young adults in Limerick with physical disabilities the opportunity to explore a range of para sports.
On behalf of their members, looking to the Limerick athletes in Paris as role models, the group sent well wishes.
Among the 35 Irish athletes competing, nine are IWA-Sport members, including Limerick’s own Drombanna swimmer Róisín Ní Ríain, Boher rower Tiarnán O’Donnell, and Jodie Waite.
Tiarnán, who will compete in the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls alongside Katie O’Brien from Galway, also has a background in wheelchair basketball. He has represented Ireland at both underage and senior levels before transitioning to para rowing, competing for Ireland this Friday (August 30), a day after the games begin.
Róisín Ní Ríain, star swimmer from Drombanna, is also set to shine in Paris as her first race begins on Thursday (August 29).
Róisín recently captured five medals at the European Para Swimming Championships in Portugal, including gold in the 100m breaststroke.
Limerick’s Jodie Waite, another standout athlete, continues to make waves in wheelchair basketball.
Now studying at the University of East London, Jodie started her journey with Limerick Celtics, where her role as captain led the team to numerous successes. She will begin her first game against Germany on team GB on August 29.
Cheering on Team Ireland, IWA-Sport director Nicky Hamill said that “Limerick Multi-Sports Club and IWA-Sport clubs across Ireland are excited for the next two weeks to see our members competing in Paris on the world stage”.
“IWA Sport is a local sports outlet for so many para athletes and we hope this Paralympics inspires a whole new generation of young people as well as adults to get involved in sport and join us.”
For more information on IWA-Sport or to find a local club, iwa.ie/sport.
