Special Olympics athletes showed off their table tennis talents at the Regional event held in GMIT, Castlebar recently. Over 60 athletes from Mayo, Galway and Roscommon, Longford competed on the day. Players battled in out over singles and doubles competition throughout the day.
Commencing the competition, Bridget Walsh – Castlebar Special Olympics Table Tennis club recited the Special Olympics athlete oath: ‘Let me win but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt’.
Competitors from the Castlebar Club - who train each week in the GMIT venue - won a plethora of medals. Bridget Walsh, Lisa Murray and Joseph Stack won gold medals in the singles competition. In the doubles competition Mary Reilly, Kiera Joyce and Paul McEllin won gold medals with their doubles partners.
Presenting awards to athletes on the day were Mayor of Castlebar, Cllr Brendan Heneghan and Special Olympics regional director Myra Merrick. Event manager on the day, Tom Kavanagh, paid particular tribute to all the dedicated volunteers who signed up for this event and delivered a successful event. Regional development officer Michael Gilroy stated, “We had a group of new volunteers who really stepped up for this event and delivered a fantastic event for our athletes. One of our volunteers signed up to volunteer at this event from Australia before Christmas. Louise Judge, a doctor originally from Foxford, was home on holidays and provided medical cover at the event.”
