A selection of schools from Letterkenny, Carndonagh, Dunfanaghy and Cresslough got a taste of what the sport of Triathlon was all about on Saturday.
Over 100 fourth, fifth and sixth class athletes participated in a fun Aquathlon event organised by Triathlon Ireland.
School were invited as part of Triathlon Irelands overall plan for junior development and school involvement in Triathlon. Interest in the county for Triathlon has grown significantly over the last five years and Triathlon Ireland want to continue this with increased involvement in school, club and community activities.
Donegal has two main clubs, Letterkenny 24/7 and MSC based around the Ballyshannon area. Each of these clubs have a thriving membership base and are keen to develop their junior sections. The kids today competed in an Aquathlon which is a two discipline activity consisting of a swim and run.
Triathlon Ireland will be hoping to continue these types of activities over the coming months with the introduction of a County championships which also leads to the first Ulster Schools Championship later in the year.
The overall plan will be to have an All-Ireland Championships for primary schools where the best kids get to compete against other kids around the country. Saturday’s fare would not have happened without the support from our coaches and volunteers.
A special thanks must go to all the teachers who prepared the kids and Paddy McDaid and his PLC students from Finn Valley College who assisted in marshalling for today’s event. Also to our coaches Triona, Jason, Paddy, Kate and Kelly. The staff and management at the Finn Valley Leisure Centre who provided a fantastic facility and service for all the participants and spectators.
If you have an interest in Triathlon or would like to get your school, club, or community involved please contact Michael Black on michael@triathlonireland.com /call 083-3746607.
Tags: