Antrim town hosted the Irish team and ensured a warm welcome for the squad and support staff. With accommodation at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick and training in the Antrim Forum, all the requirements for a successful training camp were met. It was clear from the outset that Sports Northern Ireland, Disability Sport Northern Ireland and Antrim Borough Council had worked hard to to deliver a top-class environment.
While the focus for the team was on training for London 2012, the athletes met local clubs in the community at the Antrim Forum and hosted a short training session (see Michael Mckillop and Ellen Keane above).In addition, the team were entertained at a number of civic events hosted by Antrim Borough Council, with Northern Ireland Assembly Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín, the Deputy Mayor of Antrim town, Cllr Roderick Swan and other official guests attending.
Legacy-building One of the most important roles of any Paralympic Team is to ensure a legacy exists for the next generation of aspiring elite athletes. A number of young and new athletes attended on the Saturday and trained with the Paralympic team. Judging by the skills on show, a number of future potential Paralympians may have been spotted. Although Antrim could not control the weather, the friendly atmosphere equally made up for any rain. Northern Ireland Assembly Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín (pictured below) was impressed with the athletes and in wishing everyone the very best for London, hoped that she would see the team in Northern Ireland again. We would love to make that a future possibility but in the meantime, thanks to everyone who supported us over the weekend. Don’t forget to follow us on TV, Facebook and Twitter throughout the Games!
