The Lakeland Special Olympics Club enjoyed a medal laden day at the at the Shercock Athletics grounds where they travelled with their coaches to compete in the Area South Advancement Games in athletics. 
Indeed, their 23 medal haul drew much praise from Dame Mary Peters who was special guest at the club’s 10 Year Anniversary Gala ball where the Olympic gold medallist joked “you have won many more medals than I did”. 
Club chairman Sean Brennan also heaped praise on the athletes for their dedication and enthusiasm as well as praising the coaches who helped prepare the team especially in the difficult circumstances of losing a coach but he said the volunteers and coaches “rallied around not to let the children down” as was was typical of the spirit within the club.
The games are the Year One stage in the four year Olympic cycle. Having increased the frequency and intensity of training in recent months, it was a well-prepared group of athletes who arrived ready to take on competitors from across Monaghan and Cavan in track and field events. 
In total, the athletes, Patrick Quigley, Conall Corrigan, Lochlainn Drumm, Cora Bogue, Laura Keenan, James Quigley, Joseph Wilson, Peter McBrearty, Barry Cox, Raymond Noble, Eilleen McDonagh, Kirsty Hoey and David Kelly competed in 26 events, cheered on by family and friends. In each case, the athlete’s commitment and dedication to training was evident; the performances were exceptional with many personal bests and a triumphant return to Fermanagh with 18 gold, two silver and three bronze medals as well as a fourth and sixth place ribbon. 
Gold medal performances are now eligible for selection to compete at the Regional Advancement games in 2017 where the Fermanagh athletes will face competition from the Ulster Counties, Down, Armagh, Antrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Derry/Londonderry and Tyrone; the draw for the regional games will be held in July of this year.
The athletics squad are now on a well-earned break for the summer, with training resuming in earnest in September; the Lakeland Special Olympics Club look forward to welcoming existing and new athletes then.