Jimmy Gradwell and the Drogheda Wheelchair Sports Group committee led the way for many in the region
DROGHEDA Wheelchair Sports Group since their foundation in 1979 has strived to become one of the leading clubs of its kind in the country. Now nearly three years later, with two all-Ireland champions in their ranks many feel they have succeeded.
Behind the organisation from the start were Jimmy Gradwell, Declan O’Connor and Paul Maguire, who all felt the need to organise some sporting facilities for the disabled in Drogheda.
The club meets every Monday night in at the Order of Malta Workshop for the Disabled premises on the Donore Road. Among the sports facilities they provide are table tennis, pool, snooker and numerous track and field events and it is independent of any of the disabled groups in the town.
Ronan Rooney is one of the club’s outstanding members. An Irish International, he represented his country in 100m and 200m sprints at the world championships for the disabled in England earlier this year.
He is the All-Ireland champion at both events and also a superb table tennis player. Next year Ronan is planning to compete in the 400m and 800m races.
“In the world championships although I did my personal best in both the 100m and 200m sprints. I just wasn’t good enough for the final. Next year I plan to change all that and I intend to train intensively during the winter months,” said Ronan.
Another distinguished member of the sports group is its chairman Jimmy Gradwell, who captured the discus crown at the all-Ireland championships but strangely enough wasn’t selected for the Irish team.
Leading the up and coming athletes in the club is Jimmy Murray. He has won a number of regional competitions and is hopeful of winning the all-Ireland junior table tennis competition shortly.
According to Ronan club members would like to see more sports facilities for the disabled in Drogheda and also better sports facilities in general. He said the club was hoping to integrate with ordinary people in sporting competitions shortly and a number of challenge games with local factories have been lined up.
Chairman, Jimmy Gradwell, lashed Drogheda Corporation for the lack of swimming time allowed to the disabled in the town.
Said Jimmy: “The Corporation don’t realise that swimming is an essential form of exercise for disabled people even if it is only one hour a week.”
Meanwhile the c I u b received a major financial boost when they were presented with two cheques of £500 from workers in Peter Lyons & Co. and Grove Rangers A.F.C.
The workers raised the money by a series of collections in the factory every week while the footballers organised a 24-hour football marathon. The money will be used to buy sports equipment and a super sports wheelchair.
The Wheelchair Sports Group committee is chairman, Jimmy Gradwell; secretary, Catherine McDonagh; treasurer Bernie Bcirth; John Breen, Ronan Rooney, Mrs Ann Breen, John Healy, Mrs Kcrr and Tommy Rudd.