The Cost of Belonging

It still makes me shake my head. I was good enough to be Josephine’s reference when she applied to join Special Olympics. I filled out the form, signed it with pride, and stood behind her every step of the way. But not long after, when she needed help paying for a trip to the Games, I was told I wasn’t "Blue Dolphin." That meant I couldn’t be trusted to give her a few euros toward the cost.

That same club, the one that preached inclusion and community, had no problem turning a blind eye when she took out a payday loan to cover the trip. 170% interest. €45 a week out of her welfare payment. For weeks, I watched that loan eat away at her finances and her health. All just so she could wear their colours at the Games.

In the end, I stepped in and cleaned the debt with €500 of my own money. Not because I had it to spare—but because she didn’t have anyone else.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. It was a sign of something deeper. Somewhere along the way, the Blue Dolphins Club stopped being about people and started being about power—about control, image, and quiet exclusion. The very people they claimed to support were being silenced, financially squeezed, and cut off from real relationships unless they played by the unspoken rules.

Inclusion, if it means anything, should never come with conditions. It shouldn’t cost your dignity, your friendships, or your freedom. No one should be punished for caring the “wrong” way or be left out just because they’re not wearing the right club jacket.

There’s a story Special Olympics Ireland still needs to hear—and this is part of it.

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