MCS is sponsoring Jason Smyth, the world’s fastest Paralympian, in the upcoming EAP event being held in Malta on Saturday 16 July.
The European Athletics Promotion circuit (EAP), a non-profit and apolitical organisation that organises international athletics meetings across Europe, gives athletes from its member clubs the opportunity to compete at international levels alongside top athletes.
As a member of EAP since 2018, Pembroke Athleta Athletics & Triathlon Club is committed to hosting at least one athletic meet each year, with the event being held on Saturday 16 July being the third one it will be organising. Although members of the EAP are encouraged to participate, athletes who are not members of EAP-registered clubs are still welcome to compete. Saturday’s meet will be held at the Matthew Micallef St John Stadium in Marsa and will include Men’s, Women’s, and Youth track and field events, as well as Men’s and Women’s Special Olympics 100m.
EAP events like this one give local athletes the opportunity to network with athletes from other countries and to observe world class athletes like Justin Smyth, who CNN compared to the legendary Usain Bolt. Smyth, Northern Ireland’s fastest man ever, is a sprint runner who is legally blind, therefore competing in the T13 disability sports classification, but he is also the first Paralympian to compete in mainstream championships.
In fact, apart from holding six Paralympic gold medals, this phenomenal athlete also holds six European Championship gold medals and nine World Championships gold medals. Earlier this year, he was also appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to Paralympic athletics and to the sporting community in Northern Ireland.
“When we were approached with a proposal to sponsor Justin Smyth, we immediately accepted, particularly since this complements what we already do through our partnership with the Malta Paralympic Committee,” says Charlo Bonnici, CEO of Mediterranean College of Sport (MCS). “We are committed to empowering the Para athletes who will be joining our school to achieve academic and sport excellence. Our aim is to support and enhance the long-term development and competitiveness of Para athletes, and to promote their integration with able-bodied athletes and teams. As an educational centre, MCS also seeks to develop local expertise in the field of coaching Para athletes.”
“Despite his disability, Jason Smyth became the fastest Paralympian in history and a role model to many young athletes,” adds MCS Director of Sports, Development and Recruitment George Micallef. “Not only did he overcome adversities to dominate Paralympic sprinting, but he also competed at mainstream European and World Championships. He epitomises the core values and beliefs we aim to instil in our students at MCS, like having a positive mindset, setting goals, stretching beyond your comfort zone, and being consistent. Needless to say, we are very proud to be associated with Jason Smyth.”
The Mediterranean College of Sport is set to be one of the most pioneering educational and sporting facilities in the Maltese islands, aiming to develop future athletes of international calibre. The co-educational college is set to open its doors to students in September 2024 and will be housed adjacent to St Aloysius College in Birkirkara. For further information please send an email to cbonnici@learningworks.edu.mt.
