Britney Arendse and Padraig Coyle at the launch of the ‘Angel campaign'.

‘Don't give up!’ says IWA angel Britney

Able bodied people are often heard complaining about the trials and tribulations of life. Their woes pale into insignificance when compared to some wonderfully determined wheelchair users. Their ‘can-do’ attitude and optimism in the face of often life-changing events are a real inspiration to the rest of us as Sean McMahon found out when he recently visited the Irish Wheelchair Association Resource and Outreach Centre at Corlurgan, Cavan...

 

The centre in Cavan was in the throes of launching their ‘Angel Campaign’ when I called on Last Thursday afternoon.
This is essentially the national fundraising campaign for the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), which takes place in November each year.
This year Britney Arendse is the local ambassador for the ‘Irish Wheelchair Association’ Angel fundraising campaign. An injury caused by the lap belt in the back seat of a car left her paralysed from the waist down at nine years of age following an accident in 2009.
But it hasn’t held Britney back. A Leaving Cert student at Virginia College, this remarkable young girl is currently training seven days week in hot pursuit of Olympic Gold.
The Para power lifting star in the making does her training at home in Mullagh and also meets up with her coaches once or twice a month. The gym facility has been put in place at her home and she trains between one and two hours per day.
Britney will be representing Ireland at the Para Olympics in Mexico together with another power lifting athlete from Limerick, Nicola Dore, at the end of November and also has Tokyo 2020 on her radar.
The determined Britney only took up the sport last year, after being involved in Wheelchair Basketball for a year. Prior to that, swimming was her chosen sport. It is now quite clear that Britney will not allow the loss of power in her legs to stop her from achieving her gold medal ambitions.
Her father Denver Arendse explained that Britney spent about six months in Temple Street Hospital, following the accident and another six months in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.
Her coaches at present are Ken Hurley and Roy Guerin and, of course, her father Denver and mother Bridgitte act as her coaches, when she is training at home. She also does training in the Elite Gym in Cork with her coaches.

Hopes to Break World Record
When asked what she hopes to achieve in Mexico, Britney smiles with enthusiasm and declared: “I hope to break the World record.”
Britney will be travelling to Mexico later this month with her parents, Denver and Bridgitte, and her coaches and the other athlete from Limerick, Nicola Dore.
She will be at the Olympic games in Mexico for 10 days and she is determined that nothing will stand in her way to win the gold medal.
Already wearing a number of gold medals and a silver medal around her neck, Britney explained that she won one of those gold in Dubai in February, 2017 and another gold from Hungary.
“If I win a gold medal in Mexico, it will mean that I will go straight to Tokyo in 2020, and will not have to qualify,” explained Britney.
When I remark on her smiling eyes that have the power to light up a room, Britney said: “I am like my nanny, Sybil – it is the kind of person I am – it runs in the family. She is smiling and happy everyday.”
When the conversation turns to her future career, Britney offered: “If it is not to keep the Para Power Lifting up, then something in beauty”. Her father then enthuses that Britney is a very good artist.
The Arendse family came to Ireland from Capetown, South Africa. Britney’s father, Denver played rugby and her mother, Bridgitte also did power lifting and her brother Andre lives in South Africa.

Advice
“Don’t give up”, is the immediate advice Britney put forward for anyone who experiences trauma and adversity in their life.
“Keep going. It is a new chapter in your life – the first day of your new life. Do what makes you happy,” she encouraged.

Lifeline for Padraig

Padraig Coyle from Mullahoran also avails of the services afforded by the Irish Wheelchair Association Centre in Cavan confides that he was born with Cerebral Palsy and has been a wheelchair user all his life. “I have never known anything different.”
He had high praise for the IWA services locally, which are reliant on funding from the Angel Campaign.
“The services provided by the Day Resource Centre here in Cavan are brilliant. They provide a lifeline for me. I live in a small village called Kilcogy. There are no shops in it at the minute and only two pubs,” said Padraig.
Being a Mullahoran man, Padraig is an avid GAA follower and keeps a close eye on the fortunes of the Dreadnaughts.
He is known to frequent both Michael Fegan’s and Pat Sheridan’s hostelries and have the banter with the locals.
He will be celebrating his 35th birthday at the end of November and revealed that he has attended both Athlone IT and Cavan Institute and worked in the tax office in Cavan County Council for a term. He has also done the invoices for a garage business in the past. Padraig is currently studying Business Studies and Law in Athlone.
Padraig has a goal to go into the National Learning Network in the New Year and update his computer skills.
“I got a wheelchair adapted van a year ago and my brother can bring me around in that,” he added.
Talking about getting out and about, Padraig and his friends who attend the centre have been to lots of exciting place on the bus, like the Aiva Stadium, Darts Tournament in The City West, Croke Park and the Guinness Factory.
 

About The Angel Campaign 
Fundraiser

Of the Angel Campaign, Maura Cooney, programme assistant at the centre explained: “It allows us to generate funds necessary to continue to maintain the level of essential services provided by IWA to people with physical disabilities and their families throughout Ireland.”
Watch out for the angel pins on sale as part of the campaign, together with Christmas baubles and an air freshener, all on sale at €2 each.
The centre is open five days a week and they provide a service, which includes bringing people in from their own homes. They have three buses on the road and cover the county. There are up to 70 people on their books at present and there is a waiting list.
You don’t have to be a wheelchair user to avail of the service. Those with a physical or sensory disability such as an acquired brain injury or those with limited mobility can also attend the centre, as can any person with sight loss.
They run arts and crafts programmes in the centre and also organise social outings, boccia and tag rugby courtesy of Cavan Sports Partnership.
The Irish Wheelchair Association is Ireland’s leading representative organisation and service provider for people with physical disabilities. It advocates the needs of people with physical disabilities and provides services and support to 20,000 members in their homes and communities throughout Ireland every year.
“Everything we do here, is a vision of an Ireland where people with disabilities can enjoy equal rights, choices, opportunities and live their lives independently,” said Ms Cooney. Staff members and volunteers will be selling the Angel Pins on Thursday and Friday, November 9-10 at Aldi, Dunnes Stores and Tesco in Cavan Town; SuperValu in Virginia, Bailieboro, Cootehill, Kingscourt and Ballyjamesduff; Tesco in Bailieboro; Centra in Ballyconnell and Belturbet and at the Post Office in Ballyjamesduff. Students from Virginia College and St Clare’s in Ballyjamesduff are also very supportive of the campaign.
There is also a Text option – Text the word Angels to 53000 and make a €2 donation.
If any volunteers wish to become involved on those days, contact 049-4371212.