The SportsAbility Day was launched by Deputy Mayor John Cummins, who was honoured to open the Waterford SportsAbility Day and launch Waterford’s SportsAbility Forum. John Cummins echoed the message of the SportsAbility Forum, saying that 'days like these give people with a disability an opportunity to take part and try sport and physical activity'.
The Arena was a hive of activity with over 200 participants in attendance on the day. The SportsAbility Day showcased a wide range of Come & Try sessions including Tag Rugby (Waterford City RFC), Athletics (IWA Sport), Wheelchair Basketball (IWA Sport), Fun & Run (GAA), Football for All (FAI), Yoga (Tracy Boland) and Blind Tennis (Vision Sports Ireland) just to name a few. There were twenty information stands from local sports clubs, leisure facilities and disability organisations to provide information support and advice to attendees on what is happening in Waterford at present. There was also a sensory room on site for any visitors who needed some quiet time during the day.In addition to this, Mairead O’Sullivan (Senior Paediatric Dietician) with the HSE provided a Nutrition Workshop on 'The Importance of Fluid Intake'. The Questions and Answers session with three key speakers (Mary Fitzgerald, Jim Walsh and Eileen Simpson) drew a large crowd, which focused on the impact that Sport and physical activity has had on their lives.
Overall the day was a huge success and is only the start of all the exciting opportunities for people with a disability in Waterford to come in the future. Gary Power (FAI Development Officers) commented on the success of the day and said 'This event was one of the best events ever organised by Waterford Sports Partnership'.
For more information on Disability Opportunities please contact our
Sports Inclusion Disability Officer, Pauline Cunningham on 0761 10 2682
or email pcunningham@waterfordsportspartnership.ie.
