PIC: Brendan Mathews pilots Pat Kelly on a New Year’s spin as they prepare for the Galway Cycle
Are you saddling up for the Maynooth to Galway Cycle 2019 from 5th to 7th April? You can, you will! Here’s all you need to know about Vision Sports and how you can help bring 1500 vision impaired children into sport…
Vision Sports Ireland helps to facilitate access into sport and leisure for thousands of blind and vision impaired people. The organisation provides opportunities including tandem cycling, tennis, athletics, golf, swimming, judo, triathlon and football.
Vision Sports is delighted to be selected as the chosen charity to benefit from Galway Cycle 2019. The proceeds from this year’s event will fund the development of a multi-sport Youth Inclusion Games offering opportunities for 1500 blind and vision impaired young people over three years, to be rolled out on a regional basis.
Vision Sports is unique in that it is the only organisation in Ireland solely dedicated to promoting sport and leisure for vision impaired children and adults.
It is also the only charity in Ireland with a Rio 2016 Gold medalist on its Board – Jason Smyth – the fastest Paralympian on the Planet – is Director of Sport Strategy at Vision Sports Ireland.
Blind and vision impaired children and youth must jump over many barriers to participate in sport including attitudal, cost of adapted equipment, access to gyms, swimming pools and other sports facilities, cost of transport (most rely on public transport) as well as supporting guides/pilots.
Of 8,000 registered blind and vision impaired young people in Ireland just 900 (15%) are understood to participate in sport (national average for this age group is 32%). The Vision Sports Youth Inclusion Games aims to increase levels by close on 166% to an overall 2,400 participants in three years (an amazing 40% overall participation level).
As an appalling 28.2% of blind/vision impaired people are on the unemployment register. Sport and leisure will build the confidence and open opportunities in so many aspects in life, not least in jobs market for so many young blind/vision impaired people.
Bring your bike, your tandem, your high Nelly and register here, register now at www.galwaycycle.ie . To find out more talk to Joe 0831922891.
Discussion about this post