The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) hosted a Regional Sports Training Program (RST) in Guadalajara, Mexico, earlier this month to help grow the Paralympic Movement in the Americas by supporting athletes, developing coaches and technical officials, and empowering IPC members contribute to developing their full potential in the region.
64 participants from 17 countries took part in the event from October 1st to 3rd, 2023. The event included face-to-face courses for coaches and officials as well as training sessions and workshops for athletes.
Under the National Paralympic Committees (NPC) Development Program, supported by the IPC’s global Paralympics partner, Toyota, the IPC conducts events in various regions with the aim of bridging the gap in Para participation and development -Closing sports around the world.
With the support of World Para Swimming and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), the RST held training sessions in Guadalajara specifically for para swimming and goalball.
Support athletes
During the three-day event in the Mexican city, 20 para swimmers had the opportunity to learn from the best in the sport. They attended a workshop organized by Proud Paralympians in the morning and went to the swimming pool for training in the afternoon, where leading trainers supported them on how to improve their skills as athletes.
Proud Paralympic leaders Ariel Quassi of Argentina and Camila Haase of Costa Rica covered several topics including the history and values of the Paralympic movement, the health and well-being of athletes, and working with the media.
After the training camp, many of the athletes remained in Guadalajara to compete in the Mexico 2023 World Series, the penultimate stop of this year’s Citi Para Swimming World Series.
“This camp helped us learn more about the movement and how we can communicate about our disabilities,” said Ariana Coto, a 16-year-old participant from Costa Rica.
“Interacting with people from different countries made me realize how many obstacles we have to overcome because we know that not all countries have the same resources for people to practice para sports. It was a great experience to see how far people have come.”
Quassi, who participated in four Paralympic Games, also stressed the importance of implementing the regional sports training program in different parts of the world.
“It is very important to be able to hold these camps for athletes, as many of them are taking their first steps in the Paralympic movement. We’re trying to provide athletes with more information and tools to help them develop.”
A group of para-athletes participated in workshops and training in Guadalajara, Mexico. @Andres Navia/IPC
Develop leaders
A key element of RST is increasing the quality and quantity of sports technical personnel required to train world-class para-athletes. In the last year before Guadalajara, the IPC helped train 178 additional leaders in Africa and Asia with RST events in Malawi, Bengaluru (India) and Accra (Ghana).
The RST program in the Mexican city offered three courses for coaches and technical officials who play key roles in the growth of the Paralympic movement in their regions.
José Cabo, senior manager of IPC membership programs, said:
“Through regional sports training, we aim to increase opportunities for athletes, coaches, technical officials and classifiers in their region to develop their full potential and contribute to the growth of the Paralympic Movement,” he said.
“We want our athletes to be the best athletes they can be, but not all of our members have the resources that larger members have. Camps like this help improve athlete performance so we can close the gaps in para sports participation across the Paralympic Movement across gender, sport, disability and region. We run RST camps in the regions that need them and can benefit the most from them.
“It is important to combine these opportunities with competitions so that coaches and athletes can stay after the training camp, undergo classification and ultimately qualify for Paris 2024, as is the case with the Para Swimming World Series Mexico 2023.”
Strengthen members
In addition to supporting athletes, coaches and officials, the regional sports training program also helps strengthen the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), including the event host.
Lilliana Suárez, President of NPC Mexico, wants participants in the program to share their knowledge with others so that the Paralympic Movement continues to grow in the region.
“It is crucial for us to hold these events. It opens the door for Mexico and the region,” she said. “The benefit that the participants will have in terms of training will be very great and we will see it reflected in their work because they have the information.
“Hosting the event for the first time here in Mexico and the Americas will leave us with an important legacy. It is something very important, something the region needs and something we must continue to work hard on.”
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