Nov 15,2024
Two key issues lie at the heart of Paralympics Ireland's NextGen Community Series.
Firstly, how to attract more eligible athletes to partipate in Para sports, and as a consequence, building up the strength in depth of Team Ireland's talent pool.
The Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena on Saturday will welcome a raft of people, from those with some experience of Para sports to many others with none, for the the final NextGen event of the year, where athletes with visual, intellectual, or physical impairment can sample a range of sports under the tutelage of coaches and Paralympians.
It marks the second year of the programme, with Paralympics Ireland Pathway Lead Brian Hughes explaining the importance of the initiative.
Hughes points to the Netherlands as an example of what can be achieved. A country of around 18 million, they finished fourth in the medals table behind heavyweights China, Great Britain and the United States.
They have been running talent identification programmes for a number of years, with their 1000th member coming through in 2024. At the Paris Games, a third of their team came through search events.
"It’s a long-term project," Hughes says. "We have run it for two years, at an average of 100 people per event. If we were to look for 1000 people, that’s a 10-year project.
"That’s where we want to go."
Finding a sport, or sports, is only part of the equation. From there, Paralympics Ireland will look at where the athlete is based, local clubs, whether there are links with Para clubs, as well as tying in with national bodies.
While athletes had come through ad hoc previously, it is hoped the NextGen initiative, now in its second year, will offer a more consistent approach.
Para sports is a broad church, but the fact that the path can be non-linear is also part of the potential appeal, according to Hughes.
"We expect see a range of people on Saturday, from someone who has acquired an injury later in life, from someone with congenital disability and has been in Para sport their whole life. The entry point is diverse, to say the least.
"Year one of NextGen gave us a lot of confidence. We got a lot of feedback from athletes, parents, governing bodies.
"They are amazing days (the previous regional days were in Limerick, Waterford and Kerry) because of the atmosphere created, the excitement, the possibility of the potential that comes through the door.
"Creating opportunities for people with disabilities to get into sport will always be the right thing to do."
Team Ireland delivered six medals in the French capital and pushed hard for several more, yet there is much room for growth with longer-term focus switching to Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032).
Lana Sutton was one of five Irish athletes that travelled to Paris having missed out on qualification as part of the 'Futures Program'.
With an eye on the next Games, the thinking was to equip more athletes with experience and insights into high-performance environments.
The 26-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, was a keen rugby player during her university days, but athletics had always been at the back of her mind. She came onto the Irish radar in 2023 after deciding to delve further into Para sports.
A holder of three passports, the warm Irish welcome made all the difference.
"In terms of community, I found I had a greater connection," she explains.
A 400m and 800m runner who also competes in the long jump, Sutton quickly found her groove at the elite level and mixed it with the best in the Diamond League.
Last year she hit the High Performance Standard, but that doesn’t guarantee a spot on the Paralympic Team. Her inexperience was a contributing factor to narrowly missing the cut.
"There was initial disappointment, but I was still very much learning how to compete in Para sports," she says.
"Being surrounded by that energy in Paris, and that Irish team, is something I treasure. Especially after the disappointment of not being selected, to still feel part of the team was fantastic. I felt like a valued athlete and part of the future."
Having witnessed Orla Comerford’s podium exploits up close and watched her own events with added interest, how close does she feel she is to the world’s best?
"I would have been very confident about placing well (in Paris). You couldn’t guarantee finals, but I looked at the competition and feel I would have been competitive with those people. It’s nice to go into the next four-year cycle with that confidence."
The final NextGen event of 2024 will take place on Saturday, 16 November at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena from 11-4pm
