Members of the Para-Athletics Academy were welcomed to the Sport Ireland Institute to take part in a day of testing, training and life skills as part of their progression in the programme which was launched in March last year.
Academy members participated in athletic testing to evaluate their performance, track their progress, and establish a baseline for the year ahead.
Professor Kate Pumpa led the group through the life skills session, guiding them in mastering essential cooking techniques.
They also participated in a technical sprint session led by experienced athletics coach Mick Hynes, focusing on speed, agility, and mechanics to enhance their overall athletic development.
Speaking about the academy day Dr. Alison O’ Riordan said: “Exposure to high-performance systems is imperative at this developmental age, as it lays the foundation for long-term growth, performance, and success. It’s great to have the athletes at the Sport Ireland Institute to see where Olympic and Paralympic athletes train and see the path ahead. We’re very happy with how the programme is going so far and are excited to see the progression of the academy members throughout the year.”
The Para-Athletics Academy is a collaboration between Paralympics Ireland’s Dr Alison O’ Riordan and Professor Kate Pumpa from UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science.
The research focuses on the development of talent identification profiling and monitoring protocols in Para-athletics. It will also showcase how NGBs and third level institutions can work together to enhance and improve athlete performance.
