Lucan Hedgehogs Special Olympics club formed following the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Some of the original Host Town committee remained on and formed the committee for Lucan Hedgehogs.  Hedgehogs came from the first letter of the housing estates in the Lucan Area.

2011 was a busy year for Club Development in the Ulster Region with 5 new Special Olympics Clubs being affiliated throughout the year. Special Olympics Ulster would like to wish all these new Clubs the very best of success! 

Roe Valley Special Olympics Club

This new Special Olympics Club opened in March and offers athletes from the Roe Valley area training in athletics. The Club meets at Roe Valley Leisure Centre in Limavady every Wednesday night at 7.15pm. Anyone interested in getting involved as either an athlete or volunteer with Roe Valley Club should contact Helen O’Hara on 077 45673687.

High Rollers Special Olympics Club

High Rollers Club was established by a number of interested volunteers and family members to give athletes from the Armagh area the chance to take part in a Special Olympics Club. Bocce was the chosen sport for this Club and they started training in September. The Club meet at Ardmore Recreation Centre on Wednesday nights at 7pm.   Please contact Barbara Abbott for more details on this Club and how to get involved as either an athlete or volunteer.

Cheetahs Special Olympics Club

This Club was established in summer 2011 and meet at the Playball facilities located at Stormont Estate in Belfast. The Club offer athletes between 6 and 18 years old training in football on Monday nights at 6pm. Anyone who is interested in getting involved in this Club as either an athlete or volunteer should contact Paul Shaw on 028 90522767.

Ballyshannon & District Special Olympics Club

This newly affiliated Club train at the Ballyshannon Leisure Centre on Monday nights at 6.30pm. They offer athletes from the Ballyshannon area training in swimming. For further details on how to get involved with this Club as either an athlete or volunteer should contact Joan McGrath on 086 61927849.

Lennon Special Olympics Club

This Special Olympics Club is based in the Kilmacrenan area. The Club offers athletes training in the sport of Bocce and meet on Fridays at 6pm at Craoibhin, Terman. Any athletes or volunteers who would be interested in joining the Lennon Special Olympics Club should contact Anne Sharkey on 086 3260256.

We are looking forward to another busy year in 2012 with the establishment of many more Special Olympics Clubs! Anyone who would be interested in setting up a Special Olympics Club in their area should contact Victoria at Special Olympics Ulster on 028 9089 2995 or e-mail victoria.kelly@specialolympics.ie

New Armagh based Club, High Rollers Special Olympics Club

Inter-club competition organised as part of European Basketball Week

Omagh District and Star Breakers Special Olympics Clubs hosted an interclub swimming gala and fun day on the 28^th May. 

The Mayor of Coleraine, Alderman Maurice Bradley, welcomed members of RDA Coleraine and friends to The Mayor’s Parlour on Wednesday, 10^th August, to celebrate and honour the achievements of Steven Yetman, who had attended Special Olympics World Summers Games 200 and won three medals – Bronze for Dressage, Silver for his Trail Ride, and GOLD for Equitation. 

Courses now been run at the following locations

Introduction by Paul Dempsey, Andrews Dad
Andrew has written 100 words of what the swimming Gala means to him.  

Andrew is 12 and has autism. He has a number of sensory issues, displays typical autistic traits in dealing with people and up until recently we did not believe that Andrew would ever read or write. For someone like Andrew  Special Olympics is the only club where he can participate as an equal and it is a very important part of his social life as he considers the other athletes his best friends. As parents we have seen Andrew develop from a non-swimmer and afraid of water to a competent swimmer who takes great pride in his achievements.

Below is Andrew's story. He mentions a boy who was sick - the background to this was that one boy in one of his races (50 metre freestyle) was so nervous he vomited in the changing room. The other athletes reassured him it was all OK and Andrew stayed by his side, sat with him in the waiting area on the poolside talking to him. I do not know the boys name but he won the race.

'100 Words', by Andrew Dempsey
I was asked to write and I will do it.

When I won my medals I felt wonderful.

You see we had a gala recently and

I wouldn't have the opportunity to do

anything like a gala. I am in the SO (Special Olympics)

because I am autistic. My best

friend in SO is called Katey. The SO is just

great. I can be with my friends and when

we go to a gala we get over some

fears you can by nerves. One boy was

nervous and he was sick but he won

second place. When we do a gala

we also get very excited about it.

We won medals, some of us got ribbons.

I won three medals, 1st, 3rd, 1st

 

A new found love of reading and a great win over Bray Lakers

I sang with our group The Commitments at our Christmas Party

Helping North West Club to win the Basketball National Cup

We recently held our Area 2 and Area 1 Advancement Events

Thank you to everyone who was daring enough to take a dip in the wintry waters at 40 foot, Sandycove on Saturday, 10th December for the Polar Plunge.

The Civil Service Charities Fund has kindly donated €15,000 to support the development of the Special Olympics Eastern Region volunteer centre.

Final 2011 ALPS Meeting and lots of college work which I am loving

Innaugral Sports Forum in Galway