Fastest Paralympian in the world Smyth launches Vision Sports Ireland

By Gary Anderson

September 20 - Four-time Paralympic sprint champion Jason Smyth has helped to launch visually impaired sports organisation Vision Sports Ireland (VSI) at an official ceremony in Dublin today.

Smyth, from Eglinton in Northern Ireland, is the current world record holder in the men's T13 100 and 200 metres, having set marks of 10.46sec and 21.05 respecitvely on his way to defending both titles at London 2012.

The 26-year-old was joined by Ireland's Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar, at the event marking 25 years of Irish Blind Sports which has been rebranded and re-launched as VSI.

Launched in 1988, VSI assists vision impaired people in Ireland, of all ages, to access sports at all levels, from leisure to elite, in their own communities where possible.

The organisation offers a range of sports, including tandem cycling, football, swimming, golf and athletics, and hosts both national and international competitions.

"This is the start of a new era for vision impaired sports people in Ireland and I congratulate Vision Sports Ireland for reaching out to the community," said Varadkar.

"Sport can, and should, be open to everyone, and I know that this organisation is striving to provide access to activities right across the country.

"The Government continues to support this area and awarded €36,000 (£30,/$49,000) to Vision Sports Ireland through the Sports Council this year, in addition to support for elite athletes through Paralympics Ireland."

Launched in 1988, Irish Blind Sports has been rebranded as Vision Sports Ireland to mark its 25th anniversary

Smyth, who also completed the T13 sprint double at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Lyon earlier this year, has been a member of VSI for a number of years and speaking at the ceremony in Dublin he described himself as an "an ordinary guy from Ireland who has been blessed with a talent and it is about improving on that talent and making the most of it," before declaring his ambition to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics and also defending his Paralympic sprint double.

Smyth, who has a degenerative eye condition that means he has only got 10 per cent vision, attempted to qualify for last year's Olympics and only missed out on the qualification standard of 10.18 by 0:04 having clocked his lifetime best of 10.22 in May 2011 in Florida.

Ireland's Jason Smyth is the fastest Paralympian in history

Chairman of Vision Sports Ireland, Robert Dobbyn praised the County Derry man as "an outstanding role model [and] an inspiration to all our members," before going on to encourage people to "participate and get enjoyment from their chosen sport or leisure activity," and to "set personal targets or maybe strive to be the Jason Smyth of that sport."