Inclusive, innovative, and powered by heart, the Sport Ireland Outdoors for All Award celebrates the people and projects breaking down barriers so everyone, regardless of age, background, ability, identity or circumstance, can experience the joy, freedom and belonging found in Ireland’s wild places.
This year’s nominees prove that the outdoors isn’t just a playground for the privileged, but a shared space where confidence grows, communities form, and lives are rewritten. Whether guiding adaptive athletes down rivers, supporting recovery and mental health on the mountains, opening woodland trails to families and first-timers, or challenging systems so no one is left behind, each nominee reminds us what’s possible when access meets opportunity.
From coastal swells to city peaks, from wheelchair users summiting crags to schoolchildren catching their first wave, their work carries a simple and powerful promise: adventure belongs to everyone. These leaders are not just opening doors; they are removing them entirely.
The Outsider Awards take place on 11 February 2026 at The Helix, Dublin, proudly supported by Sport Ireland, Craghoppers, Outwest Clothing, Mountaineering Ireland, and NowCoco Drinks.
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You can vote for your favourite Outdoors For All nominee in the Audience Choice Award
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Andy Keeling
In 2025, Andy Keeling demonstrated why mountain running in Ireland is as much about community as it is about endurance. Highlights of the year included completing the notoriously challenging Winter Wicklow Round. This 120km self-navigated route summits 26 of Wicklow’s highest peaks. Navigating harsh winter conditions with limited daylight, unpredictable weather, and tough terrain. The preparation required more than fitness; it demanded intimate knowledge of the mountains, meticulous planning, and mental resilience, qualities Andy honed through countless reconnaissance runs in every imaginable condition.
Beyond personal achievements, Andy has used mountain running as a platform to make the outdoors more accessible to marginalised groups. Inspired by the struggles of asylum seekers facing prejudice and exclusion, he actively invited international protection applicants to join runs, shared gear, and introduced people who may have felt alienated to the magic of Ireland’s hills. This simple but powerful initiative has helped newcomers build confidence, forge friendships, and feel a sense of belonging in the mountain running community.
Looking ahead, Andy plans to continue combining personal challenges with community engagement, taking on new ultra races, welcoming newcomers to the hills, and expanding the circle of people who experience the transformative power of Ireland’s mountains. In every climb, every mile, and every interaction, Andy embodies the belief that the outdoors is for everyone and that adventure is most meaningful when shared.
Karl Henry
Karl Henry is one of Ireland’s most recognisable wellness voices, a personal trainer, bestselling author and broadcaster whose mission is simple: help people move more, live better and discover the life-changing power of the outdoors.
From Dublin but now based in West Cork, Karl has spent more than 20 years encouraging people of all ages and fitness levels to step outside, explore what’s on their doorstep and embrace movement in its simplest form, from a sunrise walk to hiking Ireland’s hills or cycling to school. His philosophy prioritises accessibility over extremity: small daily “opportunities to move” rather than expensive memberships, equipment or intimidating goals.
In 2025, Karl released The Walking Effect, blending expert training advice, science-backed guidance, Irish walking routes and lifestyle tools to motivate people to unlock better physical and mental health, one step at a time. The book quickly became a staple for thousands looking to build healthy habits and rediscover nature.
Karl has inspired countless people to transform their lives, improving strength, stress, sleep and confidence, not by chasing performance, but by reclaiming wellbeing and ageing better. Whether supporting clients in their 80s or leading guided adventures in Ireland and abroad, his message never wavers: The outdoors is the greatest health resource we have, and it’s there for everyone.
Tonnta Adventure
In 2025, Tonnta Adventure continued to bring the transformative power of the outdoors to communities across northwest Ireland, creating experiences that are as inclusive as they are inspiring. Founded by Brian, Tonnta offers everything from surfing and guided hikes to woodland camps and wellness sessions, all designed to help people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds connect with nature, build confidence, and discover the joy of movement.
For Brian, the inspiration behind Tonnta stems from a lifelong belief in the healing powers of the outdoors. Having personally found solace and growth in wild places during difficult times, he wanted to share these opportunities with others, especially those who may face barriers to accessing adventure. In 2025, Tonnta worked closely with schools, community groups, and families, welcoming neurodivergent children, beginners, and nervous first-timers to safe, supportive outdoor sessions. Stories from the year highlight the profound impact of these experiences: a young girl with 10% vision learned to surf independently, children emerged from woodland sessions full of confidence and joy, and older participants in walking programs formed their own thriving communities.
Tonnta’s approach goes beyond activities; it’s about connection, presence, and empowerment. The northwest coastline, mountains, and woodlands provide a powerful backdrop, offering quiet, beauty, and a sense of freedom that is rare in daily life. By creating accessible, affordable, and inclusive programs, Tonnta ensures that the outdoors is not reserved for the elite but open to everyone.
Looking forward to 2026, Tonnta plans to build on this success, continuing to remove barriers, expand programs, and foster a culture of confidence, resilience, and well-being through nature. In every session, Tonnta proves that the outdoors can transform lives, nurture potential, and bring communities together.
Mark Henderson
Mark Henderson is an adaptive paddler and wheelchair user whose solo completion of the Liffey Descent stands out as one of the most inspiring achievements in Irish paddle sport this year. For Mark, the significance was deeply personal. The challenge was harder than expected, but crossing the finish line was a moment of pride not just for himself, but for everyone who supported him through Galway Kayak Club and Canoeing Ireland. His experience proves that, with the right motivation, a supportive community, and only minimal equipment adjustments, full participation and enjoyment in adventure is possible.
Mark’s preparation took place across multiple fronts: skill development, fitness, safety planning and logistics. With a decade of paddling supported by his home club, he has gradually progressed from flatwater on the Corrib to tackling whitewater rivers, and now multiple runs of the Liffey Descent, including a first duo finish and two solo successes. Physical training included long wheelchair pushes for strength and endurance, while the logistics required careful coordination with organisers, rescue crews, and family.
The reactions to his finish reinforced why inclusion matters. The paddling community’s support didn’t just help him reach his goal; it showed what is possible when opportunity meets belief. Mark hopes his example encourages more people with disabilities to try adventure sports rather than assume it isn’t for them.
His message is simple: find a sport you love, work at it, and embrace the outdoors in whatever way is available to you. For Mark, kayaking has opened up wild environments that might otherwise seem out of reach. A reminder that ability, not disability, defines what’s possible.
Get Up Adventures
In 2025, Get Up Adventures continued to demonstrate the transformative power of the outdoors, using hiking and nature-based experiences to support recovery, wellbeing, and community connection across Dublin and beyond. Founded by John Boland and psychotherapist Cara Byrne, Get Up Adventures is Ireland’s first multi-agency pro-social programme that combines physical movement, therapeutic support, and inclusive community engagement to help participants reclaim health, confidence, and purpose.
The programme was born out of a simple but profound belief: recovery and wellbeing flourish when people feel connected to nature, to others, and to themselves. The team works with groups often overlooked by traditional health services, including people in addiction recovery, those recently released from prison, and members of the travelling community. Many have been directly impacted by suicide, mental health challenges, or systemic disadvantage. Over the course of an eight-week programme, participants are guided through mountain hikes, workshops, and group activities that foster resilience, trust, and belonging.
The impact is visible and deeply moving. Week by week, participants gain strength, confidence, and improved physical health. Psychologically, participants open up, confront grief or fear, and discover a sense of agency they didn’t know they had. Socially, strangers become a team, laughter returns, and isolation is replaced by connection. For many, reaching a summit for the first time is a moment of triumph that feels like conquering Everest. At Get Up Adventures, success is measured not in miles, but in smiles per hour.
Looking ahead, 2026 promises to be a landmark year, with programmes expanding in partnership with local councils, sport organisations, and national walking initiatives. By combining inclusivity, movement, and the healing power of nature, Get Up Adventures continues to show that when people are supported in the great outdoors, they don’t just survive, they come alive.
Accessible Adventures Ireland
Accessible Adventures Ireland is led by Paul Kellagher, a qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and registered Social Worker who has spent almost 40 years working at the intersection of outdoor adventure and social inclusion. Rooted in a lifelong commitment to social justice and shaped by his own experience of temporary disability following a climbing fall, Paul founded Accessible Adventures Ireland to tackle one of the biggest unanswered questions in the outdoors: who isn’t being seen, and why?
Accessible Adventures Ireland creates fully inclusive outdoor experiences for people with disabilities, from adaptive climbing and canoe expeditions to wild camping journeys and multi-day adventures. Paul’s work demonstrates that barriers in the outdoors are rarely physical; most are designed unknowingly into systems, spaces and expectations. In recent years, powerful moments have shown what true inclusion looks like: a young woman with a spinal cord injury abseiling and jumaring the Rathlin Wall, and a spring wild-camping expedition on Lough Erne with a group of wheelchair-using adventurers, trips rooted in joy, possibility and community.
Beyond leading adventures, Paul trains the wider outdoor sector to become more accessible. His Climbing for All, Trails for All and adaptive programmes support guides, climbing walls and adventure organisations nationwide, reflecting a deep partnership with Mountaineering Ireland’s inclusion strategy.
Accessible Adventures Ireland champions a future where accessible adventure isn’t a niche, it’s the norm. With accessible canoe-camping trips and inclusive training rolling out across 2025, Paul’s message is simple: adventure belongs to everyone. If you’re curious, willing and ready, the outdoors has room for you.
Jason Black Mountaineering
Jason Black Mountaineering is driven by a simple belief: the mountains belong to everyone. From his base in Donegal, Jason has spent years breaking down the physical, social and cultural barriers that prevent people from accessing Ireland’s wild places.
His work blends technical skill with deep compassion, whether guiding complete beginners, supporting people with access needs, or leading adaptive teams into terrain many believed was out of reach.
In 2025, Jason and his team facilitated a landmark ascent with Sarah Kerrigan and Cait O’Meara, both powerful voices for inclusion, proving once again that with the right support, expertise and mindset, the outdoors opens to everyone.
Through mentorship, mountain leadership and a culture of radical welcome, Jason Black Mountaineering continues to reshape what’s possible in Irish adventure, one summit, one barrier removed, and one empowered climber at a time.
Alice Clancy
In 2025, Alice Clancy, from Meath, became one of the quiet driving forces behind a more inclusive and welcoming mountain running community in Ireland. Her work is rooted in lived experience and inspired by the ethos of the Irish Mountain Running Association (IMRA), a volunteer-led organisation that opened the hills to her at a time when she felt she didn’t belong there. Returning to Ireland following time abroad, without transport, under financial pressure, and lining up for her first race in borrowed gear, Alice found herself welcomed, supported, and encouraged by the IMRA community, an experience that would shape everything that followed.
Over time, Alice grew from early starts and short courses into competing confidently in demanding navigational events, including the Irish Championships, World Mountain Running Championships, and the Art O’Neill Challenge. As she became more involved in organising IMRA events, her focus shifted to ensuring others could access the same support she once received. In 2025, Alice race-directed multiple events, introduced 1km and 2km fun runs, organised recces and meet-and-runs, developed carpool initiatives, led kit donation drives, and worked to improve cut-off times to better support female participation in longer races.
Two moments capture the impact of her work: hearing a new runner decide to enter her first race after a fun run, and supporting a carpool that included the first runner in their 80s to complete the IMRA Irish Championships and the first runner from Zimbabwe to complete the Connaught Championships. Recently elected IMRA Races Coordinator, Alice is committed to continuing this work into 2026, balancing access, inclusivity, and environmental stewardship, while ensuring the hills remain a place where everyone feels they belong.
JUDGING PANEL CATEGORIES
Sport Ireland Outsider of the Year
Craghoppers Most Inspiring Person Award
Mountaineering Ireland Mountain Volunteer Of The Year
Outwest Clothing Outdoor Adventure Of The Year
Sport Ireland Outdoors For All Award
VOTING CATEGORIES
Craghoppers Outdoor Content Creator – VOTE NOW
Irish Outdoor Experience– VOTE NOW
Audience Choice Award – VOTE NOW
