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Stephen gears up for Special
Olympics
05.12.08
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent
MALIN man Stephen McCallion has been chosen as one
of the faces for the Special Olympics Regional
Games, the Ulster section of which will be held at
the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny next June.
It will be the first time the Ulster event has been
held in this county and the first time as a three
day residential games rather that one day event.
Over 1000 athletes and coaches from across the
province will converge on Letterkenny from the 12th
to the 14th of June to take part in athletics,
swimming, Basketball and 10-pin bowling.
According Shaun Cassidy, Special Olympics Ireland’s
Ulster Regional Director said Stephen was the ideal
candidate for a number of reasons. |
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“Firstly, we wanted to
have someone from Donegal, because the event is
taking place in Letterkenny, but more than that,
Stephen is good looking and charismatic, with
excellent people skills and knowledge about the
Special Olympics programme. We wanted someone who is
confident enough to stand up in front of cameras and
crowds and he certainly fits the bill, he has a
great pull with people,” said Mr Cassidy.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent, the father of
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20-year old said his
son was happy to have been put forward as one of the
two faces of Special Olympics in the North West
Region.
“Stephen has been involved with Special Olympics in
both athletics and basketball, but because you can
only compete in one sport at Special Olympics games,
he is now concentrating on basketball.” He trains
once a week with other people from Donegal and
Tyrone and Strabane.
Stephen will have number of engagements over the
next few months as Special Olympics Ireland seek
some 1500 volunteers on both sides of the border to
help run the games next June. Sponsorship is also
being sought to run the event.
Mr Cassidy expects that upwards of 7000 people will
be in Letterkenny for the games, which are
qualifiers for the national games in Limerick next
year. The next Special Olympics World Games will be
held in Athens in 2011.
“It’s important for guys with intellectual
disabilities to achieve. The focus is on their
ability and not their disability,” added Mr Cassidy. |
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