This September Get Behind Enable Ireland’s Life With No Limits Campaign. Passage West local Molly Marshall is an Enable Ireland Life With No Limits Champion.
Enable Ireland’s ‘Life With No Limits’ campaign takes place during September each year. It provides a platform for children and adults with disabilities who use Enable Ireland services to share their life experiences. The campaign also aims to raise much-needed funds to support the charity’s work.
14-year-old Molly Marshall from Passage West, Cork, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, is one of Enable Ireland’s 2024 Life With No Limits Champions. She attends Enable Ireland Cork Children’s Service in Curaheen and is a sports fanatic. Her schedule is packed with sporting activities which keep her busy almost every day of the week. From 100m and 200m races, triathlons and discus, to basketball and swimming. Her relationship with sports started when she was only five years old.
“I was quite young when I started. I remember seeing a poster in Enable Ireland for a club called Rebel Wheelers. Then I went to a Sports Ability Open Day and Rebel Wheelers were there. I got talking to them and I decided to try the club. I absolutely loved it!”
“My passion for running started there and then I joined Junior Parkrun in Cobh with my younger sister, Nell. It was here that I learnt about Ballymore Cobh Athletics Club from some of the Parkrun volunteers. Nell and I didn’t think twice about joining! At Ballymore Cobh AC I got to try even more athletics. Sprinting is the best and the 100m and 200m are my favourite events. I’m very competitive with myself. I love to beat my PBs!
I’ve also had the opportunity to compete in both mainstream and para competitions. In 2023, I got to take part in my first international competition. I was chosen by the IWA (Irish Wheelchair Association) to compete and represent Ireland at the AA National Junior Para Athletics Championships in Coventry, England. I went with my mum, dad, and Nell and we had an amazing time. It was exciting to be there with so many athletes who had different levels of ability. Competing in a professional championship felt like a step-up and it was great to compete against people I didn’t know. Plus, I won gold medals in all three events for my disability classification - the Para 100m, shot put, and discus! I was lucky enough to be chosen again in 2024 where I entered the 100m, 200m, and discus.
Being part of an athletics club is a brilliant social experience. I have made many friends from Cork and all over the country through competing. At the same time, it is good to have some healthy competition and someone to chase! I work hard at athletics and I’m proud to have set an Irish record in the 60m indoor at the Track and Field Live event.”
Molly will next be competing in the IWA Grand Prix in Waterford before returning to Coventry for the national CP Games where she will be competing on the same tracks again for the 100m, 200m and discus.
You can read Molly’s full story on www.enableireland.ie/MollysStory
Enable Ireland provides vital therapy and support services for over 13,000 children and adults with disabilities. Their services for children with disabilities and their families cover all aspects of a child's physical, educational, and social development from early infancy through adolescence. For adults, they offer a range of services which include daycare, training, personal development, supported and independent living, and social and leisure activities.
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