Paralympics Ireland NextGen Athlete Recruitment Campaign
Paralympics Ireland have launched a recruitment campaign to find Ireland’s next generation of Paralympic athletes.
The campaign aims to introduce athletes to a range of Para sports, help them identify their physical capabilities and to signpost them to local and regional sporting opportunities.
The Irish Para-cycling national team have enjoyed much success with Team Ireland in recent years, including gold medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
The Permanent TSB NextGen athlete recruitment campaign which will take place across four venues, in Galway, Cork, Belfast and Dublin.
Each of the four recruitment days will be open to applicants that have pre-registered via www.paralympics.ie.
Upon attendance, potential athletes, will then be brought to various stations that feature a range of physical challenges to better understand each individuals’ physical capabilities such as speed, power, and agility.
There will also be the opportunity to ‘try out’ different Paralympic sports, including cycling, as well as find out more information on how to get involved in Paralympic sports within their province. Data generated from the challenges will support the athletes’ journey to discover their Paralympic Potential.
Stephen McNamara, CEO of Paralympics Ireland said:
“We are delighted to partner with Permanent TSB to launch the Permanent TSB NextGen Athlete Recruitment Campaign. People with a disability make up nearly 15% of our population and it is vital that they are given the opportunity to participate in sport to their full potential. This campaign aims to direct athletes toward Paralympic Sport and to uncover their latent potential. This may be the start of a journey for athletes, and we are encouraging them to seize the opportunity to come to their most convenient centre to see where this pathway could lead.”
NextGen Recruitment Campaign Dates and Venue
Sunday, May 14th, Kingfisher Sport Centre, University of Galway
Sunday, May 28th, MTU Arena, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown, Cork
Saturday, June 10th, Lisburn Racquets Club, Belfast Road, Lisburn
Saturday, June 24th, National Indoor Arena, Irish Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin.