Gary O’Reilly
Age: 28
Hometown: Portlaoise, Co Laois.
Cycling Club: Laois CC.
Coach: Ralf Lindschulten
Classification: H5 handcycling
Event: Road only: Time-Trial and Road Race.
World Ranking: 5th road (2021).
Gary broke his back in a work-place accident in 2014. Getting fit through cycling has helped him progress to using crutches now, only using wheelchair for longer distances and he has made remarkably quick progress in international handcycling.
He had no interest in sport before his accident and initially took part in wheelchair basketball and rugby. A chance meeting with Irish teammate Declan Slevin at a basketball game led him towards handcycling and he started competing in the National League in 2017.
In his first World Road Championships in 2019 he finished sixth. This year he won bronze in the Time Trial at the World Road Championships (Portugal) in June where he was also fourth in the Road Race. He is a fulltime athlete.
