Paralympics Ireland, in association with partner Allianz, is setting up an exclusive club for athletes who have competed for Ireland at a Paralympic Games. Our aim is to bring current and former Paralympians together in the build up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Continue reading →

P&G Ireland announced its partnership with Paralympics Ireland and Olympic Council of Ireland at yesterday’s launch of “Team P&G Ireland”. “Team P&G Ireland” Irish Paralympic track star Michael McKillop and his mum Catherine, joined boxer Katie Taylor, her mum Bridget and Sonia O’Sullivan to publicise the launch of the “Nearest & Dearest” programme. This will support family and friends of all 2012 Irish Paralympic and Olympic team athletes. “Nearest and Dearest” P&G’s provision of free tickets* means that the mother of each Irish athlete will get to see his or her first appearance at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. For Performance Director, Nancy Chillingworth, this is a huge help: “Concerns about family and friends can be a huge stressor for athletes at Games time. Families are there on holiday but athletes have a job to do and it is essential that their focus is solely on performance. Having P&G supporting the ‘Nearest & Dearest’ programme will take the pressure off the athletes, allowing them to concentrate on the Games and providing a framework for the family to support their athlete in the most positive way.” Michael McKillop added: “As much as I loved the support of everyone around me, sometimes all I wanted was to focus on was my sport!  Having a way to educate families on the best way to keep in touch and offer their support is a positive step.” Check out our Facebook page to see more photos of yesterday’s event. (* Note - The number of tickets allocated to each athlete is subject to LOCOG availability and is to be confirmed.)