From Killaloe to Egypt

This week, Wesley O’Brien, a coach at Killaloe-Ballina Tennis Club, is introducing ‘Hit and Hope Tennis’ programme for the first time to the children in the African School of Hope in Cairo. This is a school for children of African refugees, children who have experienced the trauma of war, or lost parents. For a number of years, Wesley has visited many war-torn countries, bringing hope and joy to young refugee children. We wish him a safe, successful, and fulfilled mission in Egypt, and continued success in his charity work and disability coaching throughout 2026.

Last year was an exceptionally action-packed one for Wesley who started the year on January 25 with a ten-week programme of Blind Tennis coaching lessons in the Killaloe Ballina Tennis Club. In February, he was invited as Blind Tennis Ireland manager and coach to conduct a coaching clinic at the ATP500 Rotterdam Open, which was attended by 15 blind children from a local school in Rotterdam. The ATP500 is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world.

At the end of April, Wesley visited Jordan to coach disadvantaged children, working in collaboration with Reclaim Childhood, an organisation that creates safe, inclusive spaces for refugees and local girls to thrive through sports. In that same month, the national launch of Para-Standing Tennis took place in Castleknock, and in August Wesley was appointed head coach for the Munster launch in Killaloe Ballina Tennis Club.

The following month, he started a six-week Para-Standing Tennis programme, in the local club. Para-Standing tennis is geared towards people with a physical disability who have limited mobility but don’t want to use a wheelchair, and those who are short in stature.