Co. Tipperary gymnast to compete in four events at World Special Olympics Games next month

Carrick-on-Suir gymnast Kellie O'Donnell will compete in four events at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates next month.

The 24 year-old, who is daughter of Tara and Leslie O'Donnell, will compete for Ireland in the artistic floor exercise, beam, bars and vault gymnastic competitions. 

She is part of a team of 91 athletes from Ireland who will be competing in the World Special Olympics Summer Games that run from March 14 to 21. 

A total of 7500 athletes from 170 countries are taking part in the Games.  

Kellie's passion for gymnastics began at the Special Olympic Club in Waterford, which she has been a member of since the age of 8. 

She qualified for the World Games by winning a gold medal in the national Special Olympics in July last year. She won silver medals in 2006, 2010 and 2014. 

Names of gold medal winners are entered into a pool of qualified athletes and only so many are picked out. Kellie was one of those chosen and is thrilled with the news. She is training six days a week for the World Games with a day off on Sundays. 

 Kellie trains at the Special Olympics Waterford Club two days a week and does two days pilates with Ciara Conway in Carrick-on-Suir which helps her balance and core muscle strength 

She also does high intensity classes at Carrick’s 5 Star Fitness Gym for two  days with her mam Tara, who helps her with her bar training.  

Kellie also enjoys horse riding, basketball, cycling and walking and bakes cakes in Waterford three days a week. She is grateful to all who have supported and encouraged her to get to the World Games. 

They include her family, especially her mam Tara, who drove her to Dublin to weekend training camps over the years, her voluntary gymnastics coach Anne Marie Cahill-Byrne at Special Olympics Waterford, and pilates trainer Ciara Conway .  

A number of fundraising events have taken place in Carrick-on-Suir to help fund Kellie's trip to Abu Dhabi. 

Castleview Tennis Club in Carrick-on-Suir recently organised a fundraising tournament, which raised over €300. 

Five Star Fitness Gym raised €500 and Noel O’Donnell and friends from Carrick donated €250 form their annual charity soccer match on St. Stephen’s Day. 

 All in Carrick wish Kellie every success and her parents Leslie and Tara, brothers Jamie and Aaron, sister Clodagh and extended family are very proud of her achievements.