Newly retired athletics champ Derval O’Rourke hasn’t been resting on her laurels since hanging up her running spikes earlier this summer. Instead the iconic sprint hurdler has thrown her weight behind Special Olympics Ireland’s bid to get people running in next month’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon.
As the official charity partner of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon on Bank Holiday Monday, August 4th, Special Olympics Ireland will receive a direct cash donation for every single entrant. This money will be used to support athletes heading to Belgium this September to compete at the Special Olympics European Games 2014. In all, 46 Irish athletes will travel to Antwerp as part of Team Ireland to participate in sports such as athletics, football, gymnastics and aquatics. To cover the cost of sending Team Ireland to Belgium, Special Olympics Ireland must fundraise €75,000.
Speaking at a photo-call to promote Special Olympics’ involvement with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon, Derval said: “I know what it takes to compete at a European level and each of the 46 Special Olympics Ireland athletes representing this county deserves our support and backing when they travel to Belgium in September. Signing up to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in aid of Special Olympics is a great way for the public to support some of Ireland’s most inspirational athletes and I would encourage people to get involved.”
Cork native, O’Rourke, a former World Champion and one of Ireland’s greatest ever athletes, was joined at the photo-shoot by three Special Olympics athletes who will be flying the Irish tri-colour at the European Games. Gymnast Haile Harton from Malahide United Special Olympics Club, Co Dublin; table-tennis player Carrie Doyle, who is a member of Blackrock Flyers Special Olympics Club in Dublin, and swimmer, Lorraine Whelan, from Blue Dolphin’s Special Olympics Club in Wicklow Town, will all travel to Belgium with ambitions of taking home a medal.
Also present was Special Olympics Ireland CEO, Matt English, who has signed up to run the half-marathon. Mr English said the organisation is “delighted” to be partnered with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon. “I would encourage as many people as possible to sign-up before the registration closing date this coming Sunday (July 27TH) and by doing so help support our amazing athletes who will go to Belgium with dreams of representing their club, town, and county to the best of their ability.”
Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon, which saw 6,500 entrants last summer, features live local bands performing at every mile along the course. This year the headline act is the Frank and Walter’s supported by indie-rock act, Fight Like Apes. The half-marathon costs €49 to register but supporters of Special Olympics Ireland can avail of the following discount codes when registering online at RocknRollDublin.com:
Special Olympics Codes:
€7 off Half Marathon – SPECIALOLYMPICS
€3 off Fun Run – SOIFUNRUN
Event weekend registration and packet pick up will be held a two-day Expo, Saturday August 2 and Sunday, August 3 at the RDS centre.
