Spirits high at first Special Olympics session of year

SPIRITS were high and smiles all around at Dundalk Special Olympics Club, first training session for 2019. The club trains every Saturday at Blackrock Community Centre from 11:30 to 13:00

Athletes, parents and volunteers were thrilled to see each other and catch up on all the news. After a well-deserved rest over Christmas, head coach Sean Nulty with assistant coach John Farrell, took the athletes through their paces for a warm-up.

‘Getting back into a training routine is very good and essential for our athletes’: says Chairperson Ailish McArdle ‘Although it can take a few Saturdays for some of them to settle back in.’

Applauses came, with the sprints, as athletes whizzed over the length of the hall. ‘I am happy to be back and not even tired’ athlete Kyle Norton smiled after his run.

Volunteers, quick and effective, changed and set up new exercises as athletes helped one another, fitting bibs that would divide them into teams. The team challenge created great excitement as 4 teams challenged each other’s skills by retrieving bean bags.

Secretary Kim Callaghan is pleased to see the athletes back, but is concerned about the lack of volunteers involved. ‘To keep up the level of support and supervision, we currently provide, we are in need of more volunteers to help us on Saturdays’ says Kim.

Well-deserved drinks and fruit, carefully prepared by athlete Mary-Catherine Grimes, were waiting for tired, but content athletes. Until next Saturday when they meet up again.

Athletes and volunteers interested to join the club please contact: Ailish McArdle 087 677 9089