'He's a wonderful role model': How a tumble at summer camp changed an autistic boy's life

Nathan O'Driscoll, 5, with Niall Quinlan, his physical therapist and role model. Picture Denis Minihane

Taking a fall is an unpleasant but inevitable rite of passage in every youngster’s life, but for five-year-old Nathan O’Driscoll, a tumble in the summer of 2021 was a life-changing moment for the better.

Scooped up into the arms of bodybuilding champion, physical therapist, and Rainbow Club volunteer Niall Quinlan, Nathan felt a simpatico with the giant fellow.