The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) continues to support the development of athletes, coaches and systems across Irish Olympic sport, with recent international programmes and federation-level initiatives highlighting the impact of targeted investment through IOC Olympic Solidarity and European governing bodies.
Kerrie Leonard Completes World Archery Coaching Accelerator Programme
Irish Paralympic archer Kerrie Leonard recently completed the World Archery Coaching Accelerator Programme – Level 1, held at the World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland (5–16 October 2025). The programme is funded through the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity programme and represents a flagship initiative aimed at supporting athlete-to-coach transitions.
The immersive course combines World Archery Level 1 coach certification with practical experience at the Excellence Centre, allowing participants to develop foundational coaching competencies while working alongside experienced international coaches. The programme was launched to help former and current athletes build the skills required to contribute to high-performance systems in their home countries.
Kerrie has represented Ireland at five European Championships, four World Championships, and the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, finishing 9th and 17th respectively.
She described the experience as a key step in her transition from athlete to coach.
“The World Archery Coach Accelerator Programme was extremely beneficial to my own development as a coach and my transition from athlete into coach. I feel that it was extremely commendable for the Olympic Federation of Ireland to select me as a participant, as it shows their will to authentically engage with inclusivity by selecting an individual with a physical disability to go through the programme.”
Kerrie is a member of Archery Ireland, the national governing body for the sport, and her participation reflects a broader commitment to inclusive coach development across Olympic and Paralympic pathways.
More information on the programme is available on the World Archery website:
https://www.worldarchery.sport/news/202192/athlete-coach-inaugural-accelerator-programme-starts-lausanne
Archery Ireland:
https://archery.ie
Denise Walsh Nominated for Women in Sport High Performance Pathway Programme
Denise Walsh (Rowing Ireland) has been nominated by World Rowing to take part in the Women in Sport High Performance Pathway (WISH) Programme, funded by IOC Olympic Solidarity.
The WISH programme is a 21-month leadership and development initiative, designed to support female coaches operating at, or progressing toward, the highest levels of elite sport, including World Championships and the Olympic Games. The programme begins with an in-person residential hosted by the University of Hertfordshire (1–7 March 2026), followed by online leadership sessions, mentoring, and a final assessment and reflection phase.
Denise brings a decorated international rowing career to her current role. Her achievements include silver medals at the 2017 European Championships and World Cup I in Belgrade (2017). She remained part of the Rowing Ireland High Performance Programme until 2019 and now contributes her expertise through coaching and mentoring the next generation of athletes.
This marks the fifth WISH cohort to include Irish coaches. Previous Irish participants include Noelle Morrissey (Athletics), Francine Meehan (Cycling), Eleanor Condon (Triathlon) and Katie Fitzsimons (Rugby), with several others having successfully completed the programme since its launch. The continued presence of Irish coaches reflects the strength of the national high-performance coaching pipeline across sports.
European Development Grant Endorsed for Target Shooting in Ireland
In parallel, the European Federation for Olympic Target Shooting has announced a new development grant for its member federations as part of its current Presidency, aimed at strengthening national systems across Europe.
Both Target Shooting Ireland and Clay Target Shooting Ireland, operating as dual federations within Ireland, have applied to share the funding allocation in support of their respective development objectives. The Olympic Federation of Ireland has endorsed this joint initiative, recognising its potential to strengthen governance, participation and performance pathways within Olympic shooting disciplines.