“I had always wanted to find a sport which would suit my disability. I was born with Cerebral Palsy which means I have limited movement in all four limbs but especially my upper body. However, my legs are strong - they’re like tree trunks! I wanted to find a sport that would enable me to run and keep fit. When I learnt about frame running, I was so excited. For me and a lot of other people with disabilities, we don’t get the chance to run. Frame running allows us to run. You use a frame running bike which is like a tricycle without pedals. It supports your upper body, and you use your legs to move forward. It’s incredible.

My friend Johanna told me about frame running five years ago while I was going for Physio in Scotland with her.  She lives in The Hague and was part of a club there. Unfortunately, there are no frame-running clubs in Ireland. But there are lots in the UK. I have family just outside of London, so I found a club near them. When I visited them in March 2019, I got to try frame running for the first time. That day changed my life. Even though I was a beginner, I was one of the fastest at the club!

Two months later, I got my frame runner bike. Bringing it to my school was a good chance to change people’s perceptions. Loads of people said, “You’re so cool!”. I used the frame runner to participate in athletics and school sports days. It allowed me to get out of my wheelchair at school. People got to see me for who I really am.  Both my classmates and teachers could see me beyond the wheelchair. This was so important to me. I want to be known as ‘Finn’, not ‘Finn in the Wheelchair’."

"As there is no frame running club in Ireland, my goal is to make more people aware of the sport. At the start of 2020, I worked with my family to put on a frame running open day in the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena. We had support from Robert Henshaw who was instrumental in bringing frame running to the UK. Robert came to Ireland with frame-running bikes for people to try. The open day was a huge success with 20 families attending. It was so great to see other people with disabilities experience frame running. For many people, they have never been able to run before. Their faces light up when they’re on the bike. One boy kept going around the track – we couldn’t get him off! After the open day, Dublin County Sports Partnership secured funding to buy four frame runner bikes for use in Ireland.

However, a month later, Covid hit. This was a big obstacle to the momentum we had built. But I kept training, doing laps on the roads and parks around Terenure. Last year, I had to go to Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin for a Spinal Fusion. The recovery and physiotherapy following the operation was intense, but I focused on getting back to frame running.  While recovering I heard about the Frame Running Development Camp & World Abilitysport International Cup 2024. I was determined to recover in time to compete there in July.
The event is held in Denmark every year. It’s a week of training, social activities, and competition. I managed a full recovery but before I could compete, I also had to get nationally classified. I secured my classification just 3 weeks before the competition!

While frame running is just starting to grow in Ireland, it has gained momentum in countries like the UK, Denmark, America, and Australia. Over 130 athletes from 30 different nations were at the event. It was an amazing experience. I got to compete and socialise with other people with disabilities from across the globe. I met people from New Zealand, USA, Denmark, Taiwan, Scotland, Greece, England, France, Australia and Poland. It was great to hear their stories and share my own. Learning how other countries have been able to grow the sport was very inspiring. I picked up some ideas for building frame running in Ireland and created an Instagram to promote the sport (@frame.runningireland).

In Copenhagen I found competition. I had a feeling I was going to get smoked, but I wanted to compete. My events were the T71 60 metres, 100 metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres. I was thrilled to secure a silver medal for Ireland in the 60 metres event competing against other international athletes. Originally, frame running was a Cerebral Palsy sport but after meeting the athletes in Denmark it’s clear the sport is getting more and more diverse. People with a range of disabilities were entering, including ex-sports people who have acquired a disability."

"My hope for the future is to build an Irish frame running team. There are clubs all over England. We should have the same in Ireland! There are not many sporting opportunities in Ireland if you have limited upper mobility but frame running would make competing in athletics much more available. I want to give more people the opportunity to try frame running and build the sport here. The next step is to form a club with other frame runners where we can meet once a week and train together. We are also planning to exhibit frame running at the Paralympics Ireland and Permanent TSB NextGen event on 16th November in the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena.

It is my dream to compete at LA 2028 and be the first frame runner to represent Ireland in the Paralympics. Watch this space!”