Offaly at the Paralympic Games in Paris

Following the excitement of the recent Olympics, focus will turn to the Paralympic Games next week.  The 2024 Paralympics will be staged in Paris from Wednesday 28th August to Sunday 8th September. 

35 competitors will represent Ireland in the pinnacle of Para-Sport in archery, athletics, cycling, equestrian, powerlifting, rowing, swimming, table tennis and triathlon.  Two of the competitors, Josephine Healion and Nicole Turner, are from Co. Offaly.  

Offaly Sports Partnership wishes Josephine and Nicole the very best at the Games.  Best wishes also to James Nolan (originally from Screggan) who will manage the Irish Para-Athletics team at the Games for the fourth time.  James competed at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004.  He managed Irish Para-Athletic teams at Games in London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2021).  

Offaly Sports Partnership also extends its appreciation and good wishes to cyclists, Linda Kelly and Eve McCrystal who will compete as tandem “pilots” at the Games.  Both Linda (Wexford) and Eve (Monaghan) have rode with Josephine in a number of events in her bid to qualify. 

The Paralympic Games provides the opportunity and avenue for sportspeople with an impairment to strive to reach the pinnacle of sporting excellence in their sport of choice. Competition classifications are based on competitors’ impairments, with adaptations to mainstream competitions being made where necessary. 

For more information about the events that Josephine and Nicole will compete in, please see below: -     

Josephine Healion (Cappincur, Tullamore)

Discipline: Para-Cycling (tandem) on both track and road 

Previous Paralympic Games: None, this will be Josephine’s first Paralympics

Classification: B2

• A B2 classification is for cyclists with a vision impairment, have limited partial sight or none at all.
• The cyclist with the impairment sits on the back of the tandem and a fully sighted cyclist acts as “pilot” at the front.

Pilots: Linda Kelly (track competition); Eve McCrystal (road competitions)

For anyone following Josephine, see below the dates for her events: -

• Friday 30th August: Women’s 1,000m Track time trail (qualifications and finals) during the 11:00 am – 5:30 pm session 
• Sunday 1st September: Women’s 3,000m individual pursuit (qualifications and finals) during the 11:00 am – 4:30 pm session
• Wednesday 4th September: Women’s Road Race Time Trial (time trails will be held from 8:00 am and will conclude by 6:00 pm)
• Friday 6th September: Women’s Road Race (event begins at 9:30 am). 

Offaly Sports Partnership does not have the exact times Josephine will be competing, nor the exact distances for the road race; however, in para tandem cycling, races are typically from 78km to 125km 

This will not be the first time that Offaly competed in tandem cycling at the Paralympics.  At the 2012 Games in London, Francine Meehan from Killurin, was pilot for Swords’ cyclist, Catherine Walsh; and they won medals in two tandem cycle races at those Games. 

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Nicole Turner (Garryhinch, Portarlington)

Discipline: Para-Swimming

Previous Paralympic Games: Two (Rio de Janeiro 2016; and Tokyo 2020, staged in 2021 due to Covid)

Classification: S6          

• The S6 classification is for swimmers with different impairments including short stature, a major limb impairment, or loss in two limbs. This includes people with cerebral palsy, people with dwarfism and amputees.
• Nicole swims in the S6 category due to her short stature. 

At 14 years of age Nicole competed in her first Paralympic Games in Rio (2016).  Her best performance was a 5th place finish in the S6 50m Butterfly, just half a second behind the bronze medal winner. 

At the Tokyo Games (staged in 2021), Nicole won silver in her favourite event (S6 50m Butterfly). 

This year Nicole will swim in two events. For anyone following her progress, this is her schedule: -

• Thursday 29th August: Women’s 50m Freestyle Heat during the morning session (9:30 am – 12:30 pm)
• Thursday 29th August: Women’s 50m Freestyle Final during the evening session (5:30 pm – 9:30 pm)
• Tuesday 3rd September: Women’s 50m Butterfly Heat during the morning session (9:30 am – 12:30 pm)
• Tuesday 3rd September: Women’s 50m Butterfly Final during the evening session (5:30 pm – 9:30 pm)