Kilkenny Paralympian Mary Fitzgerald lives life with no limits

 Kilkenny Paralympian Mary Fitzgerald is getting behind Enable Ireland’s Life With No Limits Campaign which takes place this September.

An Irish Paralympian and Enable Ireland Ambassador  Mary attended Enable Ireland children’s services in Kilkenny until she was 18. She qualified as an occupational therapist in 2022 and made her Paralympics debut for Ireland at Tokyo 2020. She competed at the World Championships in Paris in July and is training full time for the Paralympics 2024 taking place in France.

Archive - Work to start on restoration of Kilkenny Castle (1973)

SEPTEMBER 7, 1973

Speaking in support of the Life With No Limits campaign, Mary said,

"Sport means so much to me. As well as giving me the opportunity to compete on the international stage for my country, I have gained so much confidence and independence. It’s easy to get caught up in what people with disabilities can’t do or what they are limited by but, if you strip it down to the fundamentals of every sport, the goal is the same, you may just achieve it differently. I would encourage any person to consider getting involved in a sport. Whether you want to represent your country someday or to make friends and develop your confidence, sport is really powerful beyond just the sport itself. 

In addition to representing Ireland in the Shot Put event at the Tokyo Paralympics, Mary is also a qualified occupational therapist.

“Being the type of person I am, what I am passionate about, and what I like to do, a career in occupational therapy felt like the perfect fit for me. My childhood experiences at Enable Ireland very much inspired me to pursue this career, so that I too could enable and empower individuals to be independent and reach their fullest potential in life."

Dónal Kitt, Enable Ireland National Fundraising Manager comments on the campaign, “Life With No Limits is a really positive and empowering campaign. It’s vitally important for raising awareness of living with a disability, supporting inclusion and raising funds for Enable Ireland’s services. You can show your support by making a donation in one of our charity shops or online at www.enableireland.ie. Now more than ever we need the help of the public to raise funds to support our services for children and adults with disabilities.”