Superintendent Watters and Special Olympic Athlete Cian Martin, help launch the Clogherhead Polar Plunge in aid of Special Olympics Leinster.
Superintendent Andrew Watters and Special Olympics Athlete Cian Martin launch the Clogherhead Polar Plunge with local members of An Garda Siochana.
Superintendent Andrew Watters and Local members of An Gardai Siochana were on hand to launch the Clogherhead Polar Plunge this week with local Drogheda Special Olympics club Athlete, Cian Martin. The Polar Plunge returns to Clogherhead strand on Saturday 30th November 2019 at 11am where the annual event sees the public enter the icy waters at Clogherhead beach to help raise funds for Special Olympics Leinster.
Local Special Olympics Athlete Cian Martin said: “I am lucky to have the opportunity to train and compete in sport within my local community. I was delighted to represent the county and province in Bocce at the Special Olympics Ireland Games last year where I took home the Gold medal. Since September we are back in training for this year’s season in my club Drogheda Special Olympics Club. It is thanks to supporters of fundraising events like the Polar Plunge, that I like many other people with an intellectual disability are able to progress and achieve our goals in sport”.
Cian is a real all-rounder sports star and also participates in Swimming, Floorball, Football and Basketball, winning a regional gold medal for the latter in 2019 with his club.
Through community based clubs like those in Drogheda and Dundalk Special Olympics continuously strives to provide opportunities for people with an intellectual disability to participate in sports, access competition through sporting events and leagues like everyone else.
Superintendent Watters said: “Sport and exercise is a core component to daily life for over 135 athletes with an intellectual disability in County Louth and thousands of others across the north east. The Gardai are delighted to be involved in such a great event in aid of Special Olympics Leinster and I’m looking forward to taking the plunge myself on November 30th. I’ve been very lucky to meet many of the athletes from the local club in Drogheda, including Cian, their enthusiasm and dedication to their sports, the training they put in and the commitment it takes is a true inspiration.”
“Special Olympics is a charity that needs the support of the local community to continue their great work. So I’m urging everyone to register online now and come out to Clogherhead on the 30th November and join me in taking the plunge for Special Olympics Leinster” Superintendent Watters continued.
Also in attendance at the launch were event organisers from An Garda Siochana and the Law Enforcement Torch Run including Sgt. Anne Byrne and Garda Graham Doolan Clogherhead RNLI Padraig Rath ~ and of course Bear Chills himself, the Polar Plunge official mascot.
Those who think they are brave enough to take the Polar Plunge can register at www.specialolympics.ie now. Entry is €20 with all proceeds raised going to the work of Special Olympics Leinster.
This November 30th, we nominate the people of Louth to participate in the challenge, and take the Plunge to support the athletes of Special Olympics Leinster. Are you brave enough to take the Plunge?
The staging of this event would not be possible without the Law Enforcement Torch Run, An Gardaí Siochána, Louth County Council, The RNLI, Coastguard, Tesco Drogheda, Irish Water Safety and The Civil Defence.