A very special girl will be remembered at Tipperary Down Syndrome cycling event

On Sunday, March 9 Down Syndrome  Tipperary will be remembering and celebrating the life of the beautiful Miss Sarah Dillon from Clonmel who passed away suddenly on April 14, 2014 at just nine years of age.

Sarah, who would be turning 21 on July 2, was so full of life and love. She would catch you with her cheeky grin and sassy smile, she won the hearts of all who met her, she lived for her dance with the On Your Toes Studio and surpassed all expectations as was evident from her window of trophies, she loved her football swimming and her dogs, she was carefree, innocent and taken all too soon.

ANNIVERSARY
As her 11th anniversary is approached Down Syndrome Tipperary is calling on all leisure cyclists to join them, along with parents Trisha and Brian at the TUS Campus, Thurles E41 PC92, on Sunday, March 9 to celebrate Sarah with us.
Registration via Eventbrite where all route maps can be viewed, Registration also on Sunday morning, opens at 8.30am, with the 25km, 50km and 100 km cycle routes leaving the campus at 9.30 am.

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These routes will cater for all cyclists and this year the cyclists will be joined by some of Down Syndrome members who have been learning to ride a bike with the fantastic Tina and Ray from RAYC Cycling in Clonmel.

AMAZING STRIDES
Some amazing strides have been made with members whose ability to ride a bike is made more difficult due to the lack of muscle tone and coordination skills. Because of funds raised by events like this one Down Syndrome Tipperary are able to partner with people like RAYC Cycling who will help provide members with activities and supports that do so much more than allow them to just ride a bike. It gives them a whole sense of confidence, pride, achievement, and of being like their peers and belonging within their community, and that is what we are all about in Meitheal 21.

Meitheal 21, our very own Down Syndrome Tipperary home, on Abbey Road in Thurles, which opened its doors in May 21, is a voluntary organisation where again because of vital funds raised from the likes of Sarah’s cycle Down Syndrome Tipperary is able to provide speech and language therapy, education tutoring, courses like, Lamh sign language, readiness for the workplace, technology for life, cookery, dancing, drama, music, opportunities for socialisation, building confidence and independence and life skills and so much more, all of which will help and support our members to reach their full potential whatever that may be.

This cycle is organised each year as a training spin for the Annual Tour de Munster cycle which is celebrating its 25th year.
150 cyclists will complete a four-day 640km tour through Munster to raise funding for the six Munster branches of Down Syndrome Ireland.

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Trisha and Brian along with Sarah would have been an integral part of this event annually and Paul Sheridan of Tour de Munster said that “Sarah has touched so many lives in a very special way. It was only fitting that her beautiful memory should be honoured and remembered and therefore this cycle is dedicated to Sarah’s memory.

With this in mind we invite all cycling enthusiasts to join us for this special cycle. So please accept our heartfelt invitation to ‘Share our journey’ and join us on Sunday March 9 at the TUS Campus in Thurles where we will honour the memory of the beautiful Miss Sarah Dillon.”