Irish Paralympic Athletes Fight for Equal Recognition and Media Coverage

Less than a week after returning from the Paris Paralympics, wheelchair racer Shauna Bocquet was one of just two Irish athletes competing in Brussels for Diamond League action. The other was global superstar Rhasidat Adeleke, who secured third place in the women's 400m to cap off a memorable season.

On a chilly night in the Belgian capital, Bocquet, the youngest competitor in the T54 800m field, finished second behind hometown favourite Lea Bayekula. Yet the stark contrast in media coverage between the two athletes highlighted a persistent challenge facing Paralympic sport in Ireland.

The Fight for Recognition

With the exploits of Katie-George Dunlevy (cycling), Róisín Ní Ríain (swimming) and Orla Comerford (athletics) propelling Ireland to six medals in Paris, Team Ireland enjoyed unprecedented spotlight. However, the failure by sections of the media to adequately cover Bocquet's performance prompted Paralympics Ireland CEO Stephen McNamara to take public action.

In an Irish Times 'Letter to the Editor', he contrasted the extensive coverage of Adeleke as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for recognition, concluding provocatively: "Two legs good, three wheels bad?"

"We became a little bit braver," McNamara reflects on his public intervention, acknowledging the challenging reality of stretched newsroom resources. "It was written in such a way that it wasn't terribly serious, but it tried to make a serious point. The reality is we've actually seen quite a bit of pick up after that."

Building on Success

Since Paris, Irish Paralympic athletes have added 17 major medals at both World and European level, with Dunlevy, Ní Ríain and Comerford accounting for all but six of those achievements.

Drawing from his decade with the IRFU, McNamara understands that PR offensives must work hand-in-hand with sporting success. "The reality of what the Para athletes have done this year is that they've continued to actually be newsworthy," he explains. "When Katie-George picks up the paper or goes online and she sees herself there, the chances are it's not because we push that in, it's because what she's done has merited that."

Ireland's Paralympic Champion

At 44, Katie-George Dunlevy stands as Ireland's most successful Paralympian with four gold, six silver and three bronze medals, plus 17 World Championship medals. Having successfully defended both time trial and road race titles at the World Championships in Belgium with pilot Linda Kelly, she's already eyeing the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

"We're kind of looking short term, but of course, the ultimate goal for both of us is to go to Los Angeles and hopefully get some medals," Dunlevy says.

Having competed for Ireland since 2011, after switching allegiance from GB Paralympic rowing, Dunlevy has witnessed the sport's positive evolution. Yet she believes significant progress remains needed, particularly in addressing the media lull between Paralympic cycles.

Breaking Down Barriers

Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 11, a genetic condition causing progressive vision loss, Dunlevy emphasises the crucial importance of providing role models for impaired children.

"We are elite athletes and we go through the same as the Olympic athletes, the trials and tribulations when it comes to injuries and illnesses, but we have more obstacles to overcome while competing at an elite level," she explains. "When I was a child, I felt like I was worthless. If I had someone I could see on TV or if I saw visually impaired people like me achieving things in sport, it would have made such a difference to me."

The disparity in recognition remains stark. "An Olympic and a Paralympic medal, for some reason, are not looked at the same," Dunlevy observes. However, her selection alongside Kelly as 2024 RTÉ Team of the Year, the first impaired athletes to receive this honour, signals meaningful progress.

Cultural Integration

Two-time Paralympic archer Kerrie Leonard, who retired following Paris and now pursues the International Paralympic Committee's professional training course, advocates for greater mainstream cultural integration.

"We don't incorporate personalities and disabilities into mainstream cultural moments to reduce the stigma," the Meath woman observes, citing Ellen Keane's 2022 Dancing With the Stars appearance as an example of positive exposure.

"That would be a very simple and authentic way of us as a society showcasing how we want to incorporate every member of society and break down the stigma around disability."

Looking Ahead

Retirement remains far from Dunlevy's thoughts, with her six-day training schedule continuing through Christmas and New Year. With World Championships approaching in Alabama for road racing and Netherlands for track events, she and Kelly will self-fund a foreign training camp in March.

"The more tandem time we can get together as well, the better. When we won the World Championships last year, we put a lot of time in together beforehand and it can make the difference," Dunlevy explains.

Their partnership requires intense collaboration, living in each other's pockets during training. "We're good friends, but we're exhausted at times. I do find that we can sometimes snap at each other. It's the nature of what we're doing. We're just so driven as well as individuals."

As Irish Paralympic sport continues its fight for equal recognition, these athletes demonstrate that excellence knows no boundaries, demanding the respect and coverage their achievements merit.