BALLYGOWAN swimmer Emma Carlisle helped Team Ireland get off to winning start at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi last week.
Twenty-three year-old Emma won bronze in the 100m backstroke event, in which she shattered her personal best by an amazing 11 seconds.
It was a magnificent achievement for Emma who was joined at the poolside by members of her family.
Ireland also won gold on the opening day with the bocce team, joining the 25m relay swimmers on the winners’ podium, making it a perfect treble for the athletes and their travelling band of supporters.
Shaun Cassidy, Special Olympics Ulster regional director, said he was delighted for Emma.
“We are so proud to cheer on all of our athletes as they compete in the sport that they love, earn personal bests and enjoy the experience of a lifetime in Abu Dhabi. They are all champions in our eyes,” he remarked.
”This is a huge year for Special Olympics Ireland and the 91 athletes — including 21 Ulster athletes — who have travelled to Abu Dhabi to compete as part of Team Ireland.”
Supported by a volunteer management team of 39, Team Ireland joined 7,000 Special Olympics athletes from 170 countries in Abu Dhabi.
The Games officially got under way at a spectacular opening ceremony at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium, the largest stadium in the United Arab Emirates.