A budget of €93,000 has been set aside to help athletes belonging to Ireland with their preparations for Paris 2024.
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The “Make a Difference” athlete fund now includes an additional €50,000 from the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI). This initiative intends to assist 32 competitors as they get ready for the upcoming summer and winter Olympic Games. The money will help athletes with their ongoing performance expenses, and it will be especially helpful for those trying to reach the qualifying standards for Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics or Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. The additional €50,000 adds to the initial €65,000 to make a total fundraising amount of €115,000.
Athletes from sixteen various sports have previously benefited from the Make a Difference fund. A budget of €93,000 has been set aside to help athletes with their preparations for Paris 2024. Gráinne Walsh, the boxer, received €7,000, while heptathlete Kate O’Connor and boxer Gary O’Donovan got €6,000 each. Each of the badminton duos of Joshua Magee and Paul Reynolds and swimmer Daniel Wiffen received a grant of €5,000. Funding has also been provided for triathlon, weightlifting, shooting, surfing, cycling, and other sports.
Athletes have received a total of €22,000 for Milan Cortina 2026. Thomas Maloney Westgrd, the cross-country skier, also received €7,000 for the upcoming Winter Olympics, while five other sportsmen competing in bobsleigh and skeleton, luge, short track speed skating, and alpine skiing each received €3,000.
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The chairman of the Athletes’ Commission of the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI), Shane O’Connor, showed his excitement for the funding initiative, stating that the caliber and number of applicants highlighted the significant impact that a little extra support could have on athletes. He added that the Athletes’ Commission was pleased to support the fund, with the backing of the Olympic Federation of Ireland and the Make a Difference fundraiser.
Gavin Noble, who is Ireland’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission, highlighted the importance of OFI funding for athletes, acknowledging the enormous personal and financial commitment required to achieve success. He stated that the strength and depth of applications received demonstrated how supporting tangible projects could make a considerable difference to athletes’ lives and their overall performance. The funding will support a range of initiatives, comprising specialist coaching, travel expenses for individual coaches, and funding for additional training partners to enhance training environments.
With the exception of Berlin 1936, Ireland has competed in every Summer Olympic Games since Paris 1924. Ireland’s performance at Tokyo 2020 was their best since Atlanta 1996, winning two gold and two bronze medals. Ireland participated in their first Winter Olympic Games in 1992 and has only missed one iteration since then. In the previous edition, a team of six Irish athletes – four men and two women participated in five sports in Beijing. The European country is yet to win a medal in the Winter Olympics.
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