Money being raised to help young Waterford powerlifter represent Ireland on European stage

Money is being raised to help a young Waterford powerlifter achieve his dream of representing Ireland on the European stage.

Sean Butler from Waterford city is set to represent Ireland at the European Junior Powerlifting Championships in Slovenia this December.

The 20-year-old, who has autism, took up powerlifting three years ago after playing rugby.

He found the movement and pressure of the weights helped regulate him and made daily life easier to manage.

Sean, who will compete on December 10 after flying out on December 8, is self-funding part of the trip.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was set up by Seán’s mother Emily to help cover the costs of travel and accommodation.

In the description of the fundraiser, she wrote: “Seán is thrilled to be invited to represent Ireland, it truly is a dream come true and a goal he set out for himself over the last few years.

“Seán is so dedicated to his sport and thrives when he is in the gym. Anybody that sees his Instagram posts or knows Sean can see how much he loves and gives to his sport.

“Part of this trip is self funded. Seán will need to have his travel and accommodation costs covered.

“We as a family would be grateful for any donation in supporting Seán to get to Slovenia to represent Ireland.”

So far, the online fundraiser has raised over €800 of the €1,200 target.

A link to the fundraising page can be found here.