Displaying items by tag: Kevin De Tot

6th May 2013

Canoeing Ireland Sets Off On Road To Rio Paralympics

#Canoeing - With para-canoeing set to join the list of sports at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, Canoeing Ireland says it is keen to develop the sport and identify and support athletes with hopes of representing Ireland.

That was the message from Canoeing Ireland's Olympic Sprint chairman Eamon Fleming, who was on hand to thank Paralympics Ireland for accepting Canoeing Ireland into the Paralympics family at an event last week.

"We are very excited to be a part of the Paralympics family and see great potential in growing para-canoeing in the future," he said.

According to Fleming, he and Ireland's canoe sports governing body "were inspired to see para-canoeist Patrick O'Leary finished second in the men's 200m event in very tough conditions" at the first sprint regatta of the year in Nottingham last weekend.

Also now paddling his own canoe for Rio is two-time rowing Paralympian Kevin Du Toit, who is currently training out of Richmond Canoe Club in London – a home away from home for Irish paddlers over the years.

Karl Dunne, CEO of Canoeing Ireland, said: "We are delighted to have had instant success with Patrick's result in Nottingham, He will now compete at the European Championships in Portugal this summer.

"Canoeing Ireland look forward to working with Liam and his team on the road to Rio."

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About the Watersports Inclusion Games

The Watersports Inclusion Games are an award-winning event organised by Irish Sailing with partners from across the watersports sector, that enable people of all abilities from the physical, sensory, intellectual and learning spectrums to take to the water to participate in a wide range of water activities.

More than 250 people with physical, sensory, intellectual and learning disabilities typically take part in the weekend's events.

Participants will have the opportunity to try more sports than ever before, with an expanded range including sailing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, rowing, surfing, water skiing and powerboating all on offer.

The Games typically take place each August.

The organisers of the Games want to let people of all abilities know that there are multiple watersports available to them, and to encourage more people from all backgrounds to get involved and out on the water regardless of ability. They aim to highlight that any barriers faced by people with disabilities can be eliminated.

There are social, health and wellness benefits associated with sailing and all watersports. These include improved muscle strength and endurance, improved cardiovascular fitness and increased agility, enhanced spatial awareness, greater mental wellness through the balancing of serotonin levels and the lowering of stress levels, improved concentration and the forging of positive relationships.