THREE Northside men are preparing to represent a 26-strong Team Ireland squad at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz and Schladming, Austria this month.
Lj Byrne (19), from Donaghmede, Anthony Murray (46), from Balbriggan and Matthew Colgan (45), from Swords will take part in the floorball discipline for Ireland, a sport similar to ice hockey, but played on a hard surface and with a ball.
The Special Olympics World Winter Games Austria 2017 will be the largest sports and humanitarian event to take place this year, hosting approximately 3,000 athletes from 110 countries worldwide.
Team Ireland will compete in two winter sports – alpine skiing and floorball – with six alpine skiers and two teams of 10 floorball athletes making up the squad.
This is floorball’s first year at a Winter World Games as an official sport and Team Ireland will be one of 20 teams battling it out for glory in the code.
Lj, who is the team’s goalkeeper, took part in the Ireland Games in Limerick in 2014 and returned home with gold medals in both the Javelin, 100m and a bronze in the relay.
His mother, Elaine, is set to fly out on St Patrick’s Day, three days after the team arrive in Austria, and she says Lj and the family are excited about the competition.
“Of course he is really looking forward to it now,” she says. “He’s been training hard for it all year and last year so, hopefully they do well and maybe even manage a medal.”
Matthew plays outfield and is also competing in his first World Games and says that putting on the green jersey means the world to him.
“I get such a kick out of it and I’m enjoying myself now because this is a new thing that I’ve never done before in joining the Irish team,” says Matthew.
“Just being a part of the team is good because we have great craic. It is just the same with partner games. Teamwork is very important.”
Anthony, who also plays outfield, is close friends with Matthew and will have the unique honour of representing Ireland with his close comrade, but says he loves interacting with other members as well.
“I like floorball because of meeting the people I play with,” he says. “Meeting the other players is why I love it.”
The team meet on Saturdays for training and sometimes stay overnight on the weekend as part of a camp, so it is safe to say they are giving it a right go in order to try and do well at the games.
Commenting on the Team Ireland floorball team’s progress, head coach, Michael Lynch, says: “I think they’re all training very well and I think we’ve got a great bunch together.
“They’re looking forward to it. We understand that we’ll be playing against countries where floorball is their main sport.
“It’s going to be a fair competition because if you get beaten in the first game, you go into a different group. I think we have a good chance of staying there anyways.”
Liz Callery, Regional Director, Special Olympics Eastern, praised the Dublin athletes and spoke in admiration at their achievement of being selected for the honour of taking part in the team.
“We are extremely proud of our Dublin athletes for being selected to represent Team Ireland at the 2017 World Winter Games,” says Ms Callery.
“They have shown great dedicated and motivation, as well as strong discipline and tremendous skill in getting this far.
“The whole of Dublin and beyond will be cheering him and all our athletes on. We wish them and the whole of Team Ireland well with their preparations.”
Ms Callery also paid tribute to the many local business and organisations that have pledged funds to help raise the necessary €3,000 needed to cover the cost of each Special Olympics athlete’s participation in the 2017 World Winter Games.
Businesses in Dublin that would like further information on how to support Team Ireland should visit www.specialolympics.ie or call 01-8912000.
To keep up to date with Team Ireland’s progress, follow Special Olympics Ireland on Twitter, @SOIreland and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsIreland
REPORT: Brein McGinn
