Small steps but giant effort from the Games' future athletes

MOTOR ACTIVITIES: The audience held its breath as Jonathan Howley faced the table. His task was to move a little bean bag into a basket.

But nothing was happening. His coach Anthony Corcoran gave him a gentle prompt. Jonathan took off his peaked cap, carefully placed it on the table and looked around him.

He picked up one bean bag and threw it in to the basket. The audience erupted into applause. A second bag went in. He was on a roll.

Jonathan (15) from Knock, was one of 30 Connacht participants in the motor activities programme at the RDS yesterday. The programme is for athletes who don't yet have the skills to participate in a competitive environment. It aims to develop their motor skills, with tasks such as pushing a ball, or stepping across a low bar. Many athletes have physical disabilities, as well as severe learning disabilities.

Some will progress to lower ability events in areas such as gymnastics or bowling. Others won't, but the participation will improve their co-ordination and social skills.

Emotion is a word frequently used with Special Olympics, but the motor activities programme must be the most moving event of all to watch. Never mind cutting the atmosphere with a knife, you could have used a ladle to spoon the emotion at yesterday's event. Many eyes blinked away tears when the music swelled and the athletes paraded around the floor, either in wheelchairs, or linked by their coaches.

Gary Durcan (14) from Castlebar was an early participant in the bean bag lift. He sat in his wheelchair and gazed at the blue and yellow bags. If the silent urging of the audience could have moved them, they would have soared over Ballsbridge.

"I think he needs a little encouragement," said the MC, Nicola O'Lone.

As the audience cheered, Gary stretched out a hand. Then he pulled it back. The hand went out again and the yellow bag was in the air and into the basket. Had he just climbed Mount Everest and abseiled back down in time for tea, Gary wouldn't have received more applause.

His father Padraic was elated. "We are very, very proud, needless to say. Gary can't communicate but we can see the excitement in his eyes," he said. "This whole event is tremendous. We'll never see anything like it again."

It is nerve wrecking for coaches who don't know how their athletes will respond to the different environment.

"It's unpredictable," said Mary Kearney from the Kilcornan Brothers of Charity centre in Clarinbridge. She coaches Peadar Conneely while her colleague Jackie Moran is Kevin Parson's coach. "Peadar can do the events, but maybe not on cue," said Mary. "He could decide to go off in the middle of it. But getting this far is the main thing. Anything after that is a bonus."

Her worrying was in vain. Peadar was unfazed as he walked into the arena, with a newspaper in his hand. The ball appeared in front of him. He nonchalantly kicked it and sauntered off.

The 60 supporters from Kilcornan whooped with delight. "That was brilliant. Peadar was absolutely brilliant," Mary said, her eyes shining.

"It could take several months of intensive training to do one of the tasks," said her colleague Jackie Moran. "Kevin and Peadar have been training for three times a week for this. It's been a fantastic experience for us all. Only for the two lads, we wouldn't be there."

Asked if Kevin's and Peadar's disabilities were severe, Ms Kearney said: "We wouldn't say that. We look at their abilities, not disabilities. They just need that extra bit of caring."

Afterwards, the athletes mounted the small wheelchair- friendly podium to receive their challenge award medals.

Flushed with success, Jonathan Howley broke away from his coach and did a lap of honour, ending in a rugby tackle. "He's enjoying himself," said his father Tom.

"I was a bit worried because he doesn't like to be in different environments but this is marvellous."