IWA Offaly joins National Fitness Inclusion Games

Members of IWA Offaly were among more than 160 people with physical disabilities who took part in the National Fitness Inclusion Games at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena in Dublin on Thursday, May 7. The event was hosted by the Irish Wheelchair Association, or IWA, and was billed by organisers as Ireland’s only inclusive HYROX-inspired competition. Offaly Independent reported the Offaly group’s participation on May 13, one of several local follow-up reports after the national event. RTÉ and IWA said competitors from across Ireland took part in adapted challenges built around strength and endurance. ### When did the Offaly group compete, and where was the event held? Thursday, May 7 was the competition date, and the venue was the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin, according to RTÉ and IWA. Offaly Independent’s May 13 report said competitors, members and staff from Offaly IWA were pictured at the campus during the games. (offalyindependent.ie) The Offaly report was published nearly a week after the event, and its wording matched other regional reports on IWA branches from around the country. A Louth-area report published on May 10 said members from IWA Dundalk and Drogheda also joined more than 160 participants at the same event on May 7. ### What exactly are the Fitness Inclusion Games? (offalyindependent.ie) The Irish Wheelchair Association said the Fitness Inclusion Games are an inclusive fitness competition designed for people with physical disabilities. IWA said the event features adapted team challenges testing strength, endurance and skill, drawing on formats such as HYROX and CrossFit while being built for accessibility. (offalyindependent.ie) RTÉ reported that more than 160 people with physical disabilities were taking part this year, while IWA’s pre-event announcement had put the field at 150 participants. The higher figure appears to reflect the turnout on the day, based on RTÉ’s event-day reporting and later local coverage. ### How big is this event in the context of Irish disability sport and fitness? (rte.ie) RTÉ reported the 2026 games were in their second year. IWA said the wider Fitness Inclusion project began as a pilot in Drogheda in 2022 and has since expanded into a national programme with activities in Navan, County Meath, Tipperary, Galway and Dublin. IWA described the games as part of a broader push to widen access to gyms, structured training and competition for people with physical disabilities. (rte.ie) In its event announcement, the association said the programme was intended to address barriers that many disabled people still face in fitness and sport settings. ### Who said what about the purpose of the games? Declan Hamilton, identified by IWA’s SpokeOut magazine as interim national director, said the initiative had grown since the first games in 2025. (rte.ie) In the same IWA coverage, he said it was “incredible to see how far people have come” since the previous games day. Offaly Independent said organisers stressed teamwork and resilience around the event. (iwa.ie) RTÉ’s report similarly described the competition as a series of adapted challenges rather than a conventional elite sports meet, with participants testing strength and endurance in a format built for inclusion. ### What is known about the Offaly contingent itself? (iwa.ie) Offaly Independent identified the group broadly as competitors, members and staff from Offaly IWA, but the report excerpt available in search results did not list individual Offaly participants by name. The article confirmed that the branch was represented at the Dublin event and included a group photograph from the campus. (offalyindependent.ie) Other local reports followed the same pattern, highlighting branch participation rather than individual race-style results. That suggests the event was organised around team-based adapted challenges and branch involvement, consistent with IWA’s description of the format. ### Where does the programme go from here? The Irish Wheelchair Association said more information about the Fitness Inclusion programme is available through its dedicated project page. (offalyindependent.ie) IWA’s materials describe the games as part of an ongoing national project rather than a one-off event, with local programmes already running in multiple counties and in Dublin. (iwa.ie) May 7, 2026 marked this year’s competition date, and IWA’s public materials point readers to the Fitness Inclusion project for updates on future activity, participating locations and programme details. (offalyindependent.ie)