Forty young people and 10 mentors have travelled to China in memory of Lisa Orsi, a physiotherapist who died of altitude sickness in Indonesia last year aged just 22.
"She would have loved this … she'd have been over the moon," said Lisa's father Denis Orsi, who set up the Live Life Lisa Orsi Foundation to bring 40 youngsters from her native Derry to China, culminating in their competing at the Asian Gaelic Games in Shanghai.
Lisa Orsi collapsed after falling ill while trekking on a volcano in Indonesia in March 2015. She had previously been a member of the Singapore Lions Ladies Gaelic Football team that won the senior cup at the Asian Gaelic Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In all, there were 170 applications for the foundation.
"I knew that after we came to terms that Lisa was gone, that Lisa was just too important to just let go. I tried a few things and had a few ideas. We came out here last year to present the first Lisa Orsi Cup, and I thought I'd love to take some of the guys from the city, who were not aimless but they really didn't think there was much more to life than what they knew," said Mr Orsi.
To get onto the foundation, the students had to meet certain markers at school, such as improved attendance, improved grades, better coursework and behaviour.
“They had to become club members that everyone wants. They stood up to the mark and that’s how we made the decision,” he said.
“It’s a legacy project, but the problem is you can have these legacy projects and nothing comes out of them. So the plan is that next year, the guys who are on the project this year, will run it next year.
“It’s all about living your life. I think Lisa would have been over the moon. She wouldn’t have wanted the fuss made about Lisa, but (she would have loved) the very fact that it has inspired so many young people. She had an amazing 22 years on the planet. For Lisa’s legacy, she would have loved to have seen these young people out here now. She really would have loved that her life encouraged other people to step up to the mark.”
Sisters Úna (19) and Leah Casey (17) from Derry, learned about the foundation from Facebook.
“The Great Wall was unreal. It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Leah, while her sister loved the games themselves.
“These games have been a highlight, an unreal experience,” said Úna. “You don’t feel out of place here, there are so many Irish here. I want to go back.”
