Ballyclare athlete Oliver Gunning is proud recipient of inaugural education bursary

Vision Sports Ireland has presented Oliver Gunning with the inaugural Education Bursary, which is supported by law firm Mason Hayes & Curran.

Oliver is currently completing his first-year studies in BSc Hons Sport, Physical Education and Professional Education at the University of Stirling. He is aspiring to assist others facing similar challenges that he encountered growing up with a vision impairment and is a passionate advocate for sports, especially for individuals with disabilities.

In addition to his busy academic life, Oliver also represents Ireland in triathlon on the world stage. He said: “Representing Northern Ireland in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games was a defining moment in my journey. It proved that I could be more than just a visually impaired kid unable to participate in PE or traditional sports.

"Sport provided me with confidence and a drive to succeed in all aspects of life. However, achieving success in sports required careful time management to strike the right balance between education and athletics.”

The Vision Sports Ireland Education Bursary provides financial assistance of up to €2,000 per annum for the duration of the recipient’s undergraduate degree up to a maximum of €8,000. The initiative is open to all Vision Sports Ireland members who are registered blind or vision impaired and studying within Ireland or the UK.

Financial Burden

Vision Sports Ireland says the bursary is part of its ongoing commitment to promoting sport and physical activity opportunities for people who are blind, and vision impaired in Ireland. The organisation recognises the challenges that people with vision impairments face in accessing third level education within the sport and physical activity faculty, including the financial burden of pursuing higher education.

Pádraig Healy, national sports development manager with Vision Sports Ireland, commented: “We are delighted to have Oliver as our first recipient of our Education Bursary; we believe that everyone should have access to higher education and this bursary is part of our ongoing commitment to foster opportunities for youths with vision impairment and the launch of this initiative complements our Youth Leadership and Youth Forum programmes where we strive to support our members to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

The bursary aims to help alleviate some of these pressures by providing financial assistance. This award is supported by Mason Hayes & Curran which has provided a financial contribution to allow Vision Sports Ireland to support and invest in the future of the next generation.

Will Carmody, managing partner at Mason Hayes & Curran, commented: “We have long held the belief that education is one of the most powerful tools to reduce barriers and promote equity of access to education.

"That’s why, through this new initiative in partnership with Vision Sports Ireland, we are very pleased to support Oliver as he enters third-level education and training. We are excited to follow Oliver’s journey through education and sport over the coming years.”