Mother of visually impaired sporty Laois family leads Operation Transformation challenge

A Laois woman who along with her sports mad family is visually impaired, is urging the county to get up and active with Operation Transformation.

Treacy Percy from Portlaoise was born with a visual impairment. Her husband George is registered blind, and all three of their sons are visually impaired.

It has not stopped them from reaching incredible sporting and lifestyle achievements including national sporting titles. 

Treacy's volunteer work has also helped to make Laois a sporting hub in Ireland for the visually impaired.

She has been chosen to represent Portlaoise and get on stage with Operation Transformation fitness expert Karl Henry this Friday, January 13 when the cameras come to Portlaoise Plaza at 7pm to film the show’s three minute Ad Break Challenge.

There’s not a bit of nerves on Treacy ahead of her on stage role.

“I’m actually thrilled. It shows inclusion in sport and activities. I’m visually impaired. My husband is totally blind and our three boys are visually impaired. We are very active.

“It is an honour to be asked to do this. It shows that Portlaoise and Laois have such huge number of inclusive sports clubs. It’s fantastic and its growing and growing,” Treacy told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

The Dublin native is living in Portlaoise for the past 26 years. She describes how important sport is to her and her family.

“Because I was born visually impaired, it was a driving force in me from an early age, I loved sports. I did Taekwando, I kayaked across Florida, I did skiing in Austria.

“George is just as sporty and totally blind. He does tandem cycling. We are setting up blind golf in Portlaoise.”

Her boys are just as inspiring.

“Jordan is 18 and he is studying computer sciences in Cork University. He is a freestyle wrestler and took the gold medal in the Irish Open wrestling championships. 

“Alex is 16 and is a javelin thrower and 100 metre runner with Special Olympics. Lee is 12 and plays with Portlaoise Rugby Club. They all play Football For All, a visually impaired team in Portlaoise that developed this year. 

Below: Treacy with her son Alex.

“Portlaoise is actually the largest hub in Ireland now for visually impaired and blind people and I have pulled on all the resources I can to help make that happen.”

Treacy works as a part-time schoolbus escort. She is determined to help everyone else with a disability too, and so gives up her spare time to sit on multiple boards to ensure the voice of visually impaired is heard so that changes happen. 

“I worked in Bank of Ireland in Dublin for many years, commuting to work. I  became unwell and had to leave. I was into high impact sports but I had to change so I got the bug for volunteering.”

“I am involved with Vision Sports Ireland, Special Olympics Ireland, the FAI, and I am on the board for FEACH, for families with visually impaired children, and on the Laois Sports Partnership board,” she said.

She has multiple other volunteer commitments, including teaching athletics and kayaking, javelin and shot put to children with extra needs. 

Treacy is urging everyone in Portlaoise to turn out at the plaza this Friday and to get active in their own lives.

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“I coach athletics for the Special Olympics. If you see a child with severe disabilities able to throw a ball or a javelin, there is no excuse for anyone sitting on the couch. 

“Chlldren are an inspiration all the time, but especially children with additional needs. 

“The social and mental health aspects of sport are huge. We want to get as many people there as possible,” Treacy said.

Laois Sports Partnership has urged the county to come and support Treacy in the crowd, along with George and their two younger sons 

““Treacy Percy is featured as this week’s local hero. Treacy does lots of fantastic work in the Laois Community with several disability groups and we are delighted to have her as a member of the LSP board.”

LSP co-ordinator Caroline Myers describes Treacy's important contribution to Laois.

“We are delighted to have Treacy as a member of the LSP Board, as a representative for diversity and inclusion. Treacy brings a wealth of knowledge to the LSP through her experience of being involved with Vision Sports Ireland, Laochra Laois Special Olympics, Feach Ireland and the FAI football for all visually impaired soccer.

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“Treacy’s volunteering has been fundamental for Laois LSP in the delivery of many programmes such kayaking for visually impaired young adults and athletes with additional needs, swimming for visually impaired children, golf for blind and visually impaired and supporting midlands football for all hub for visually impaired athletes in Laois.

“Through Treacy’s collaboration with Catriona Slattery (Laois LSP, Sports Inclusion and Disability Officer) there has been considerable growth in the number of opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport. As a result, Portlaoise is now the largest visually impaired and blind hub for so many sports.

“Laois Sports Partnership is an organisation which is committed to providing opportunities for all to participate in sports and physical activity which has been highlighted with previous awards such as the Q Mark for Accessibility and the O2 Ability Awards.

RTÉ Operation Transformation cameras coming to Portlaoise

“We have embedded inclusion and diversity at the heart of our work and throughout our Strategies. We are currently in the process of receiving the CARA Xcessible Bronze Award. This award is to certify an organisations capacity to support people with disabilities within the sport and physical activity environments. The areas assessed for the award are Openness, People, Activities, Facilities, and Promotion.

“It is with the support of Treacy and others alike, that make it possible for Laois Sports Partnership to continue to provide opportunities for all to be physically active. We are extremely appreciative of all the fantastic work Treacy does throughout the County of Laois and we look forward to many more years of working together,” Ms Myers said.

The Ad Break Challenge takes place this Friday, January 13 at 7pm at the Civic Plaza, Portlaoise (between Laois County Council and Supermacs).