Special Olympics: The Irish medical manager of the 2003 Special Olympics in Ireland has been advising the organising committee of this year's world Winter Games in Japan, which open this Saturday.
In her role as medical adviser to Special Olympics International, Annette Codd has been working closely with the Japanese organisers to ensure their medical, operational and emergency plans meet international guidelines.
A nurse with over 20 years experience, predominantly with learning disabilities, Codd was appointed to the role following the highly acclaimed medical operation in place during the 2003 Special Olympics Summer Games here.
"It's an honour to have been appointed for two reasons," she said. "Firstly because I am a nurse trained in learning disability, and secondly because I was just the conductor of the Irish team of medics during 2003."
The "superb" calibre of the medical supports during the summer before last was due to the partnership between the Department of Health, the health boards and the healthcare professionals who pulled together to create a 24-hour, three-week long medical system, she said.
These high standards prompted Special Olympics International to commission Codd, and her assistant during the 2003 games, Murton Mann, to identify the key medical and operational elements for a successful games. The pair also produced a medical support functions guide for Special Olympics events, which goes to all organising committees.
Codd was then offered the newly created position of international medical adviser. Her involvement with the organisation stems back to her student days in the early 1980s, and includes intermittent work as Special Olympics co-ordinator for Ireland.
Ms Codd has been on a site visit to Nagano, Japan, to advise and recommend operational changes in their medical system, as well as make presentations about working with people with learning disabilities. The rest of her support has been by e-mail and phone.
Eight Irish athletes are competing in the Japanese Alpine skiing events and are being accompanied by a team of five coaches, a medical person and 26 volunteers, about half of whom speak Japanese. They have collectively raised over €185,000.
Irish teams have competed in World Winter Games twice before - in Alaska and Toronto.
There are 34,000 people with a learning disability in Ireland but only 8,000 access the Special Olympics programme. Codd's goal is that all these people have access to a club by 2007, when the World Summer Games will be in China.