THESE are Saturday morning training sessions unlike any other: ten children from West Cork who have intellectual disabilities meet at the sports centre in Skibbereen and train in the hopes of one day making a Special Olympics squad in the Ireland or World Games.

Last weekend was their final training session before the summer recess and The Southern Star was there to meet them and their parents, to understand how​ much more there is to this than just fundamental movement skills and developing hand-eye co-ordination, it's about working as a team, and having fun, and all of the athletes are blossoming as a result.

'Alijah loves it. He is having great fun, as you can see yourself,' his mother Heather said as her son clapped his hands in sheer delight at being out, in company, and part of a crew alongside his brother Reece.

'Reece loves it too because he gets to do everything and be involved,' said Heather. 'It's great because they both get to have a good Saturday morning together.'

The family, who travel from Dunmanway every week, find the staff and the volunteers to be nothing short of brilliant. 'Alijah loves people but the more we have been coming, the more he gets to know them,’ said Heather. ‘When we came first, he clung to me, but now he is not even looking for me. He simply loves it.' 

Earlier, when asking another mother, Jessica, a question, her daughter Amelia immediately piped up and did the talking. With enthusiasm, she said: 'It's beautiful. I love playing with them.'

Jessica also attested: 'It's great fun. They get so much enjoyment out of it. The bond with the group is great.'

Amelia describes the training as 'bouncing balls, throwing and catching,' but there is instruction too, working as a team, and a competitive element.

Primary school teacher Ellen O'Regan​, from Union Hall, is one of the volunteers who helps out on Saturdays. After a busy week of teaching, she said this is something 'extra,' something that she too finds to be great fun.

'It's a huge resource for families all around West Cork. There is no other Special Olympics club in West Cork, so it is amazing to see it up and running.

'From the very first training session to one year later, you can see that the athletes have gone from strength to strength. You can see the progress they are making, and the friendships they are building. It's incredible. 

‘It's a wonderful resource to have. We are very lucky,' said Ellen, who pointed out that there's lots of room for more athletes and more volunteers when training resumes in September.

'The kids, the athletes, would fill your cup every Saturday,' she added. 'If ever you were in bad form after the week, they would definitely cheer you up. It's amazing to see the smile on all their faces.'

Mairead O'Driscoll, Ellen O'Regan, Annie Hurley and Grace McCaffrey, who volunteer every Saturday.

Tragumna native Mairéad O'Driscoll, who is the regional development officer for Special Olympics Ireland in Munster, said the squad has a name: The West Cork Warriors. 

The ten members come from Bantry, Rosscarbery, Dunmanway and Clonakilty​, and range in age range from four to 12-year-olds.

Essentially, Mairéad said, it's about learning fundamental movement skills, but there are running races at the end of the session that they love and sends them home with a sense of elation.

'We want to spread the word that we are here and we are hoping to expand the club to 12 to 18-year-olds. We are going to focus on athletics – track and field events, so we are looking for a coach with athletics qualifications to lead that. 

'The West Cork Warriors are extremely lucky to have loads of volunteers from 15 up to 60-plus,' said Mairéad. 'There is a committee too who manage the money and the safeguarding, and run the club in the background.'

When the athletes return in September, they will be working towards participating in Special Olympic events, such as the one in Castleisland every year. 

These events, and the Ireland Games, is all part of the Special Olympics cycle, every four years, so there is a long-term goal for these West Cork Warriors.

As a regional development officer for Munster, which has 50 clubs, Mairéad said: 'There wasn't one in West Cork. And as someone who believes sport is the best thing ever, I have seen the truth in the saying: Sport transforms lives.'