Paralympics Ireland are excited to
bring their Permanent TSB NextGen athlete recruitment campaign to the MTU Arena
sports centre at Munster Technical University on May 28th, the second in four
regional events that aim to discover the next generation of Irish Paralympians.
Permanent TSB NextGen is a one-day
regional opportunity for young athletes interested in para sport to discover
their paralympic potential through a range of physical challenges and exploring
different Paralympic sports.
Munster is renowned for producing top
quality sports people across all codes of para-sport including Paralympic
pioneer and medallist Kay McShane, the medal winning ‘Rebel Treble’ of Niamh
McCarthy, Orla Barry and Noelle Lenihan from the Rio Paralympic games and Paris
2024 hopeful Donnacha McCarthy.
Our regional ambassador for the Cork
Permanent TSB NextGen event is Tokyo Paralympian Jordan Lee, who came through a
programme not unlike Permanent TSB NextGen which saw his Paralympic journey
begin, a journey that took him all the way to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Lee was born with amniotic band
syndrome - in the womb, the umbilical cord wrapped around his left elbow,
stopping the blood flow and growth. This did not hold the Killarney native back
and he showed huge sporting prowess throughout his formative years excelling in
both football and basketball where he created history by becoming the first
amputee athlete to represent their country at international level.
A chance conversation with six-time
Paralympic sprint champion Jason Smyth and fellow Permanent TSB NextGen
ambassador led to Lee attending a Paralympic expo, just after the Rio 2016
Paralympic Games. While attending the expo, his natural flair for the high jump
was spotted and he quickly progressed in the sport after being matched up with
coaches who were able to hone his untapped potential.
In his first appearance at a major
international event, the 2018 European Para-Athletics Championships Berlin saw
him win the bronze medal for Ireland. He followed up this success by qualifying
for and representing Ireland at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Speaking about Permanent TSB NextGen,
Lee said “Events like these are so important to open the minds of young
athletes about the opportunities that could lie ahead. To have the potential to
represent your country and travel the world to compete, is just amazing.
Being a Paralympian means everything
to me. Whenever I put on that Irish vest, I know that I’m not just representing
myself, I’m representing my family, my friends, my community, my county and the
entirety of Ireland. It’s a privilege every time I go out and compete, and to
be able to do that at the highest level possible at the Paralympics is an
extreme achievement.
The advice I would give to kids
looking to get into para sport is to not be afraid to get out of their comfort
zone and try something new. Always work hard, and always be open and willing to
learn to get better. Never let other people’s negativity hamper your will to
achieve great things, and of course, enjoy every minute of the journey!”
Paralympics Ireland Sport Director
and Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, Neasa Russell said “I was absolutely
thrilled with how the first Permanent TSB NextGen event in Galway went. The
energy on the day was fantastic, there was a lot of smiles, good vibes and a
lot of positivity.
It’s so important to give people with
disabilities an opportunity to try sports locally. We are grateful for the
support of the National Governing Bodies and local clubs who attended the first
event and are really looking forward to bringing permanent tsb NextGen to
Cork.”
Speaking about the NextGen programme,
Eilis Mannion, Permanent TSB Regional Head of Growth and Performance for South
and East, said:
“As proud title sponsor of Team
Ireland, we are delighted to collaborate with our Partners in Paralympics
Ireland to deliver Permanent TSB NextGen.
Through our own commitment to
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we continually seek to create a more inclusive
Permanent TSB for our colleagues and our customers. We are honoured to be
working alongside Paralympics Ireland to support in creating more inclusive
communities throughout Munster and beyond through access to and participation
in para-sport, in the hopes of uncovering new Irish Paralympic heroes who will
inspire the next generation.”
Permanent TSB is title sponsor of the
Irish Olympic Team and Irish Paralympic Team for the 2024 Olympic and
Paralympic Games in Paris. They are the first title sponsor to partner with
both teams during an Olympic and Paralympic cycle, as well as being Paralympic Ireland’s
first-ever title sponsor.
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