"It was in the nineties when my friend Siobhan Garvey introduced me to Boccia. I was thirty years old! Siobhan came to Enable Ireland as a student. She was a sports and recreational therapist. Although I come from a sporty family, I never thought sport was an option for me. I have Cerebral Palsy. When I was growing up in the sixties and seventies, sport wasn’t as accessible as it is now. But when Siobhan told me about Boccia, she opened up a whole world of sports and competition to me.

Boccia is a sport like bocce, or bowls. The overall aim is to get your ball closest to the white ball (AKA the jack). I first played with Enable Ireland service hubs and with Dell, the technology company. They organised regular competitions with Enable and still do. I loved it. It gave me hope and drive and made me feel more independent.

Although it may look easy, it’s a very official, strict and technical sport. I became skilled at reading the floor. I learnt how to notice any divots or slopes which may influence where your ball is going. Even now, when we go bowling, I read the floor to see if it’s good enough to play. Boccia brought out a real competitive streak in me! It put a fire in my belly. I decided to get classified with Boccia Ireland in the hope that I’d be considered for the national team. Only the most skilled players are selected. So, when I was first chosen to put on the Irish uniform, I was over the moon.

I had the honour of representing Ireland several times in my thirty years of playing Boccia. In 2010, I was part of Boccia Ireland’s Special Olympics team and competed at the Summer Games in London, Canada. We had some craic! You’d play from 6 in the morning to 5 in the evening if your team did well enough. I played against international teams like Hong Kong, the UK and Canada. While it was competitive, it was also really social. It’s a great way to learn other people's cultures as you get to hang out with other teams from across the globe. We gave each other little gifts and tokens too. The Canadian team gave us a Canadian flag pin, and we gave them an Irish flag pin in return.

Boccia changed my life for the better. When I was younger, I didn’t think I could play sports. But I’ve represented Ireland in the Special Olympics! Boccia was something just for me, something I knew I was the best at.

I stopped playing Boccia just before Covid, and I don’t compete anymore.  However, I still know the game very well. If people will listen, I’ll teach them how to play. But they’ve got to have some skill! The last time I played was in memory of a pal I used to play Boccia with. Once a year, staff from Dell play against Enable Ireland in tribute to him.

Although I’ve stopped playing Boccia, my passion for sport remains – I’ve still got the fire in my belly! Our Enable Ireland Hub in Castle Connell is near a rowing centre. The folks there invited us to try out their accessible equipment. I was excited to try it as I thought rowing could be my new thing. Unfortunately, the rowing machine straps couldn’t register my movements. However, I have a great understanding of the techniques and what is involved. So, I found another way to participate! I’ve been supporting the coaches and instructing other people on rowing. It’s lit a new fire in my belly. Now I’m focusing on becoming a rowing coach.

I will forever be grateful to Siobhan for introducing me to Boccia. She helped me realise that if you want to do something, you can do it. We are still close friends 30 years later. Siobhan is still with Enable Ireland too. She works as coordinator for EI Children’s service in Limerick. I would travel to the ends of the world for her.