Laois athlete to fly the flag for Ireland at world championships in South Korea
William Paiva is a fitness instructor based in Portlaoise
A Portlaoise fitness instructor will travel to South Korea to represent Ireland at the World Masters Athletics Championships.
William Paiva, a combined events athlete with Portlaoise Athletic Club and fitness instructor at the Midlands Park Hotel Health & Fitness Club, will make his international debut representing Ireland at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
The 42-year-old has been selected to compete in the Decathlon and Throws Pentathlon.
The World Masters Athletics Championships will take place from August 22 to September 3 and will bring together around 11,000 athletes from 90 countries. Open to competitors aged 35 and over, the Championships feature 34 athletics events across track, field and road disciplines, making it one of the world's largest international masters sporting events.
William is expected to be the only athlete from County Laois on the Irish team.
Commenting on his selection, William said: "Representing Ireland is a huge honour. I hope my experience encourages more people to get involved in athletics, especially in throwing events. I'd love to see enough athletes coming through to form a Laois throws team for javelin, discus and shot put."
He is also targeting personal best performances at the upcoming competition and hopes to challenge the Irish record for his age category.
As a fitness instructor at the Midlands Park Hotel, William delivers fitness assessments, personalised training programmes and group exercise classes. He also leads the annual Couch to 5K programme in preparation for the popular Streets of Portlaoise 5K and Portlaoise AC's annual St Patrick's Day 5K road race.
A former track athlete from 2000 to 2013, he returned to competitive athletics after a lengthy break, dedicating two years to rebuilding his strength and conditioning before making his comeback.
The Midlands Park Hotel has shown their support for the fitness instructor by covering his travel and accommodation expenses for the competition.
Applauding his selection to the Irish team, Sabine Wycisk, General Manager of the Midlands Park Hotel, said: "We are happy to support William as he prepares to represent Ireland. This is a fantastic achievement that reflects the discipline and commitment he brings to his sport and his role here at Midlands Park Hotel.
“We are incredibly proud to have William as part of our team and wish him every success in Korea. Everyone at the hotel will be cheering him on."