Midlands Park Hotel partners with fitness instructor William Paiva ahead of debut for Ireland at WMAC 2026

The Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise has announced its sponsorship of fitness instructor William Paiva as he prepares to represent Ireland at the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships (WMAC)* in Daegu, South Korea.

A combined events athlete with Portlaoise Athletic Club, William (42) has been selected to compete in the Decathlon and Throws Pentathlon, marking his first time in Irish colours on the international stage.

Taking place from 22nd August to 3rd September 2026, WMAC Daegu 2026 will bring together around 11,000 athletes and their accompanying persons from 90 countries.;open to competitors aged 35 and over, the Championships feature 34 athletics events across track, field and road disciplines, making it one of the world's largest international masters sporting events.

William is expected to be the only athlete from County Laois on the Irish team, with his selection marking a proud moment for both his club, Portlaoise Athletic Club, and athletics in the county.

Midlands Park Hotel is supporting William by covering his travel and accommodation expenses, helping him achieve his goal of competing on the world stage. A Fitness Instructor at the hotel's health & fitness club, William delivers fitness assessments, personalised training programmes and group exercise classes, while also leading the annual Couch to 5K programme in preparation for the popular Streets of Portlaoise 5K, Portlaoise AC's annual St Patrick's Day 5K road race.

Discussing, the chance to represent both Ireland and County Laois, William said:

"Representing Ireland is a huge honour. I hope my experience encourages more people to get involved in athletics, especially in throwing events. I'd love to see enough athletes coming through to form a Laois throws team for javelin, discus and shot put."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme