All Special Olympics athletes and volunteers are invited to a reunion to mark 10 years since Ireland hosted the Special Olympics World Games in June 2003.
All athletes and volunteers, both past and present, are invited to remember the 2003 Games and what it stood for in the Greville Arms Hotel next Thursday June 20. Come along on the night to share your memories, with a video presentation, photo display, and much more planned for the evening.
The Games showcased the abilities and skills of people with intellectual disabilities not just to the world but to people across Ireland through the host town programme and various competition venues in Dublin and Belfast. For two weeks people were enthralled and inspired by the determination, bravery, and skills of the 7,000 athletes who travelled from 168 countries to Ireland.
There are currently more than 400 Special Olympics clubs and 11,000 athletes participating in 15 sports in a year-round programme across the country.
The Mullingar club is called Shoot ‘n’ Stars, with 53 athletes and nine coaches and volunteers. Athletes play five sports: basketball, badminton, bocce, soccer, and swimming. Shoot ‘n’ Stars meet on Tuesdays for athletics, Wednesdays for soccer, and swimming takes place in Mullingar Pool on Saturdays.
In 2003 the Mullingar community was very closely involved in the host town programme, with help from the Army, Mullingar Town Band, local newspapers, the Royal Canal Amenities Group, local schools, hotels, businesses, sports clubs especially the local bridge/bowls club and Gainstown Soccer Club, Joe Dolan, local priests, Westmeath County Council, Westmeath Community Development, Bank of Ireland, and the ICA Guild; several local gardaí were also involved in carrying the Olympic Torch throughout the county and country. The whole show was held together by Bernie Corroon.
