A graduate of NUI Galway, where she gained a first-class master’s degree in neuroscience, Geraldine, an assistant lecturer at Sligo IT, has always been sport-mad.
Before her accident she was a competitive kick-boxer, a qualified gym instructor and cyclist, riding before work every morning with races of 60km and 100km under her belt.
Positive and proactive, Geraldine has used her own initiative and the help of others to continue to enjoy sport.
“Mountain paths or going off-road become a distant dream when you first go into a chair because the front wheels can’t cope with rough ground or gravel.
“But there are ways around it. I have got an attachment for my wheelchair which enables me to go on bumpier paths, or off-road. Also, people have been so good to me at Sligo IT, helping me hand-cycle around the track in the evenings”.
“The Irish Wheelchair Association has assisted me with transport to go horse riding and Local Sports Partnerships can help with access too. Accessibility is not the issue, though it depends on the number of volunteers. The problem is more often about funding. I was horse riding in Ballymote for a year after my accident. I had never done it before and absolutely loved it. It was so therapeutic. But to progress further I would have needed funding for an adapted saddle”.
“I have not completely given up on that because I really did enjoy it, and I think it is something I will return to at some stage.”
More volunteers and funding are always needed for people with disability to take part in sport”.