‘ONE DAY I HOPE TO RUN FOR IRELAND’
Stars of the future put their dreams in motion at games
THE ALDI tent was rocking. The Children of the Revolution were bobbing to the beat.
Half a century of the Community Games. Fifty glorious, golden years.
Across the way, the outdoor athletics track was humming with tiger feet.
A wind whistled across the turf like Roger Whittaker. Officials had their hats on.
The kids sailed through the breeze, embracing every puff.
“I won,” exclaimed Helen Ikpotokin as she sped in first across the line in the heat of the Girls Under-14 100 metre sprint.
“I love running,” she said. “One day, I hope to run for Ireland.”
Helen is from Portarlington in Laois. She plays basketball, soccer and tennis. She watched the World Athletic Championships from London. “Usuain Bolt is my favourite runner. I look up to him.”
Bolt also has a fan is Nikolka Stevankova, who was taking part in the Girls Under-16 100 metres and the Under-15 Mixed Relay.
She also admires Jessica Ennis and this is her fifth year in the Community Games.
“I love the Community Games. I have super coaches and I make so many friends.”
Nikolka is from Limerick. She has already run for Ireland. And she’ll do so many times in the future.
On the inside track, Carlow’s Conor Bolger was taking part in the Boys Under-14 Javelin event.
“A few months ago, my coach, Ger Proctor, saw me throwing a javelin and he thought I’d be good at it.”
Ger was right. From Conor’s hands, the javelin was travelling at the speed of sound, despite facing into the stiff wind.
He plays hurling and football for Burren Rangers. A goalkeeper in both codes.
He’s tipping Galway for the All-Ireland. “Waterford will give them a good game. It will be tight, but Galway will do it.”
He enjoys the javelin. “I’d like to keep it up. It’s great fun.”