Lenine Cunha on reaching 200 career medals, his mother and life as an athlete

/in , /by

Portugal’s Lenine Cunha is a familiar face on the Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport and Paralympic stage.

This week, the London 2012 bronze medallist will go for his 200th career medal at the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Indoor Athletics Championships (Europe) organised by Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport Europe in Istanbul, Turkey.

Find out more about the Portuguese track and field athlete – one of the most prolific athletes with an intellectual impairment in the world.

Gaurav Mokhasi (GM) for Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport: You have competed in triple jump, decathlon, hurdles, 200m, high jump, pentathlon, heptathlon, long jump, pole vault. Are you unique amongst athletes in playing and being good at so many sports? Which sport is your favorite?

Lenine Cunha (LC): Everyone is unique in their own way! We are all different from each other and that’s what makes the world such a beautiful and diverse place. I have my way of training, I have my own life experiences, I have my own personality and that makes me who I am, yes unique, like everyone else! I love sport and athletics in general but I must confess that long jump and triple jump are definitely my favorite.

GM: When did you discover you were good at sports? When did you decide to do this full-time and make it your career?

LC: As it is known already, I suffered from meningitis at the age of four and, aiming to help in my recovery and mental development, my beloved mother signed me up in sports. I enjoyed it more and more as time went by and it made so much sense that it didn’t take long for us to realise that it was the best decision my mother could’ve made. I was becoming stronger, fitter, more disciplined every day and before I even realised it, I had already found the great passion of my life. So that said, I truly believe that I didn’t choose Sports. Life made that choice for me.

GM: Could you tell us a bit about your experience with meningitis and intellectual impairment? How has that struggle shaped your outlook on sports and life? How important was your mother’s support during your formative years?

LC: Well, it obviously must have been a shocking experience to my family, however, and I say this all the time, it was at the same time a terrible event and a happy coincidence because if it were not because of meningitis I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today. The remnants left from meningitis were the main reason my mother signed me up in sports, I lost the ability of walking, talking, listening and my cognitive development was far behind other kids my age. So it was definitely a struggle to keep up in school, human relations and consequently my shyness regarding other kids, you know bullying is real and I just didn’t fit in the “normal” world. My mother in her infinite love obviously realised that and she didn’t want me to suffer but at the same time she refused to quit on me. So she made the decision that changed my life completely. You know, sports helped me a lot in every possible way, the help I got from my colleagues, my motor coordination, emotions, pretty much everything improved with sports. I will always be thankful to my mother for that.

Can you tell us a bit about your social work raising awareness of meningitis and intellectual impairments?

I am often invited to be in talks to share my life experience so that said, every time I have the chance to speak about the importance of vaccination regarding meningitis I will always try to give hope because there is and I am the real example of it!

What was your experience competing at the World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Games in Paris last year like? You won two silver and three bronze medals.

After being absent for a long time because of my knee surgery it was amazing to go back to competitions. It was obviously even better to win five medals knowing that I was not feeling 100 per cent yet so yes, it felt great!

You have stated that you are going after your 200th career medal. How do you keep yourself motivated after such a long career and so many medals?

Being passionate about something is the greatest motivation. This is just a goal that I placed in my mind and that said, being stubborn helps a lot! Before I could even realize, I already had 134 medals! After that, I placed a goal in my mind, to reach 200 medals. I am extremely happy to be so close, I have no reason to not be very motivated!

How do you keep yourself fit and going at the age of 35? What is your training regimen and diet like? Has it evolved over the years or more or less remained the same?

I am actually very cautious with my wellbeing in general. I try to eat clean and on time to make sure everything goes well. I am well aware of my age and I know that my body does not respond as if I was 20. That said, I know that I have to take a great care of my body and mind and it’s actually working because I’m still in the run for the podium.

Once you achieve 200 medals, what will your next target be?

I will focus on the other part of my goal. To assemble a valuable team that can help me create my own sports team so I can give back to others like me in order to provide them the right opportunities.

What has been your career’s biggest and most memorable achievement?

Without a doubt, winning the bronze medal at the London Paralympic Games in 2012 was the most memorable achievement of my career. I had lost my mother only a few weeks before that and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to make it to the Games. But somehow I did and I felt my mother with me at that time. That will always be the biggest moment of my career.

You got a bronze model at the London Paralympic Games in 2012, after not competing at the Paralympics for 12 years. How did you feel standing on the podium?

As I answered in the previous question, it was a very special moment for me. After 12 years without competing, going through a very hard time because of my mother’s passing and still reaching the podium for my country was…indescribable.

What is the role that your coach Jose Costa Pereira have played in your success?

About my coach Jose, we are together for 20 years already and there is no other way to say this: If it wasn’t for him, I would not be the athlete and the man I am today. My success is our success, it only happened because of him.

Portugal has a great sporting culture. What has the support for Portuguese people and government been like for you?

Portuguese people have been supporting me for a long time now and I feel very grateful for that. The government is showing significant changes regarding the support for Paralympic athletes. They are now, gradually, equating the monetary support between Olympic athletes and Paralympic athletes so, it’s finally getting better for all of us.

You suffered an injury and had to undergo surgery in 2017. What was your experience of coming back from that like? Do you have any advice for athletes recovering from injury?

My best advice is: Be patient! I got frustrated so many times because I wanted to go back to training so bad and I just couldn’t. That didn’t help at all. So, needless to say, as soon as I could go back to training, I was a happy man!

What do you like to do when not playing sports? What do you do to relax?

Music! Listening to music is my other passion! I absolutely love to relax while listening to music. Browse on the internet is something that I also enjoy very much.

Can you tell us about the sports academy that you have started?

It is still at a very embryonic stage, however, I believe that I’ve already found the right team to join and help me making this dream come true, especially my manager, Judite Freitas, that besides being a great friend, is also the ice prPesident of the Sport Club Lenine Cunha.  It is a project that is open to everyone, without exception and which aims to mostly provide the right opportunities for those who are determined to pursue athletics. Basically, I want to become a coach and pass my experience in order to help people thrive in athletics. However, if someone does not want to pursue a professional career in athletics, it doesn’t mean that they can’t join us in the club, as I said before, it is open to everyone who is open to adopt a healthy lifestyle and that have good values to share, since I believe that we can learn from each other. I feel like it will be a place where everyone should feel included in order to become better and better every day, in every way.

What is your goal at the Global Games in Brisbane? Do you plan to compete in another Paralympics (Tokyo 2020)?

To give the best of me and to be as well classified as I can and yes, I plan to compete in Tokyo 2020 knowing that will probably be my last time competing in an event like this.

What do you think your legacy will be? What would you like to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for never giving up! I want people to look at me and see hope. And I want people to know that, even when everything looks dark, you can still thrive and be the best in the world if you believe!

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Athletics Indoor Championships (Europe) run from 8-10 March. You can also catch Cunha in action at the 2019 Global Games from 12-19 October – the world’s biggest high performance sport event for athletes with intellectual impairments.

A group of runners with intellectual impairments race on an indoor track

Watch the World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Indoor Athletics streamed live

/in /by

The 9th World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Indoor Athletics Championships begin today in Istanbul, Turkey. You can watch a livestream of the events here.

Note, only live sessions are broadcast.

 

 

Volegov aims high at 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Skiing World Championships

/in , /by

By Lotte Rooijendijk | For Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport

The 2019 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Skiing World Championships will get underway across two French venues on Wednesday (6 March) with the tracks highlighted by defending champion Ivan Volegov.

For the Russian cross-country skier, who won his first world title in the men’s 10km freestyle in 2018, there is no mountain high enough. Volegov is aiming to triumph in all races but is well-aware of the strong rivalry coming from his opponents. “I know these skiers, they are very strong and able to contest the victory,” Volegov said.

Of his gold medal from Zakopane, Volegov continued: “I took pride in my nation, in myself and in my coach Alexandre Golev, who put a lot of effort in my training for this Championships.”

In France, cross-country skiers from around 12 countries will compete in Autrans-Méaudre En Vercors between 6-10 March.

This time around, Volegov says he has been working on building his speed and power. He plans to: “make every possible effort to achieve the victory in the Championships. I am looking forward to victories and golden medals for my nation.”

The 23-year old first tried skiing when he was 13 years old. His favourite place to train is the trail in the forest of Savino in the Ural mountains as he describes the nature being very beautiful there.

At the top of the mountains is where everything makes sense for the Russian: “In skiing I enjoy overcoming difficulties. On the skies I trust myself. Sport takes the lead in my everyday life. Thanks to skiing I have a daily routine, and I am able to plan my day and scope”.

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Skiing World Championships head to France from 6-10 March. As well as cross-country skiing, alpine skiing will also be contested at nearby Lans En Vercors.

The Championships will be covered live on World Intellectual Impairment Sport Twitter and Instagram from 7 March, when competition gets underway.

 

A female cyclist from Russia is pictured during the time trial. Her mouth is open and her hair is blowing with the speed she is travelling at

Russia’s Nikitina in the hunt for cycling gold at World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games

/in , /by

By Giuseppe Napoli | For Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-19 October will be the ideal frame for a mosaic of different sport stories.

Around 1,000 athletes from 80 countries will compete in 11 sports with one goal:  the gold rush.

Irina Nikitina, the golden athlete of the Russian cycling team, will be called upon to build on the good results achieved at the last World Championships in Paris, France, in 2018. Nikitina wants to leave definitively behind the difficult time she passed through the year before.

“The period when I was out of competitions due to my health conditions, was the hardest. Due to my surgery I could not participate to the 2017 World Championships.  I wanted to stop training,” said Nikitina.  “In Paris, last year, however I won one silver [road race] and one bronze medal [time trial]. My main goal is to become world champion and I hope that my best achievements will still be ahead”.

The national women’s cycling team, currently composed of Nikitina, Liubov Tarasova and Praskovia Iakovleva, has performed remarkably in the last two years.

A bronze and a gold in Assen, The Netherlands in 2017 and a silver and a bronze in Paris last year – Coach Adanichkin has created a solid team where friendship and encouragement are the bedrock for individual and collective achievements. A “well-oiled machine”, as Adanichkin dubbed it, aiming for success joint effort and support.

In this regard Brisbane 2019 will not only be a testing ground and a chance to win some medals, but the opportunity to experience a brand new country.

Of the 2019 Global Games Nikitina said: “My goal for this competition is victory but also meeting new friends.  Doing sport gives me the possibility to have communication, to look at the world around me and at cycling environment. For me to be part of this event is also an opportunity to cheer up other people”.

Nikitina began her competitive career in her home city, Kostroma, in the Upper Volga district. At the time cycling was something between passion and daily routine, while doing short track speed skating as well.

The competition in Brisbane will be tough but the Russian cyclist, who balances training with study, will not back out of her commitment to excel:

“In Russia I have the best results among women and I try to achieve the results of the men’s team. I want to show everybody that I am able to perform at a good level. The hardest part of the competition is to overcome myself, but the other side of the coin is standing on the podium as a result of my commitment”.

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are expected to attract around 1,000 athletes from 80 countries. The event, which takes place every four years, will feature 11 sports including the road cycling World Championships for men, women and teams.

Two cyclists are pictured during a race, making a huge amount of effort.

Going for gold: Duinkerke on the road to Brisbane 2019

/in , /by

By Giuseppe Napoli | For Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport

Dutch cyclist Joannathan Duinkerke is hoping for redemption at the 2019 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, as he aims for an illusive world title.

Going the distance could easily be the motto of every cyclist. For Duinkerke however, the phrase has one special meaning and it goes from Assen, the Netherlands, to Brisbane, passing through Paris, France.

At the last two World Championship, in Assen in 2017 and Paris last year, Duinkerke won two bronze and two silver medals in the team time trial and men’s road race.

These results left him disappointed as he fell short of his expectations. His biggest regret is not stepping onto the podium at home in Assen.

“It’s a competition I will not want to remember,” Duinkerke said.  “I was disappointed with myself and with the whole team. If everything had gone well together, I could have performed better”.

But from 12-19 October the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games – the world’s biggest high performance sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment – will provide the ideal stage for Duinkerke to try to lay his ghosts to rest.

“It is a great honor to be allowed to participate in such an important event in a far away country, the highest possible in my career. It’s a dream come true,” he said. “My goal is always to be the best, it is what motivates me to train. As an athlete, I am very persistent and I just don’t give up. I know how to manage myself and fight to win.”

The pursuit of excellence has been a constant in the cyclist’s career and now, close to turning 30, he is ready to add another gold to an impressive resume.

The life of a cyclist is constant sacrifice and meticulous discipline in order to excel. Duinkerke is no exception.

“I train six days per week and I have one day off, I follow carefully my schedule. I also have a nutritionist who follows me and sets up a diet. The athlete’s lifestyle fits me well. The structure, the urge to perform. I am happy to be a top athlete in my environment.”

The commitment does however have its downsides as well: “The hardest part is when things do not run as you want. I think that mentally can be heavy sometimes. Sometimes you also face difficult choices and you have to say no to nice things because you need to train.”

The Brisbane 2019 Global Games will be an important showcase, not only for the World Intellectual Impairment Sport cycling community, but for the entire movement for athletes with intellectual impairments.

“Everyone can play sports, regardless of what restriction you have,” Duinkerke concluded.

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are expected to attract around 1,000 athletes from 80 countries. The event, which takes place every four years, will feature 11 sports including the road cycling World Championships for men, women and teams.

Representatives of the IOSDs met with IPC President Andrew Parsons

IPC reaffirms support for International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled

/in /by

Representatives of the four International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSDs) – the founders of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) – gathered in Bonn, Germany, recently to meet with IPC President Andrew Parsons and Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez.

The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA), the International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport), the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) and International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) all play a key role in the development of Para sports.

At a meeting on 22 January, Parsons and Gonzalez reaffirmed their strong support for the IOSD’s within the Paralympic movement and the significant work they do to support the athlete pathway.

“The IOSDs play a significant role in the development of the Paralympic Movement and work in close partnership with the IPC,” Parsons said. “We are athlete-centred organisations and together we aim to create more opportunities for athletes from all regions, especially those with high-support needs. We have also discussed how to provide new pathways from grassroots level to elite competition.”

The IPC also made several presentations on classification, their strategic plan, the Agitos Foundation and other current topics.

 

The IOSDs highlighted their individual activities, including their respective multi-sport events for the different impairment groups and the role they play in helping Para athletes on their way to the Paralympics. They also talked about the wide range of opportunities for athletes beyond the Paralympic Games, such as in those sports not currently on the programme.

The part IOSDs have in bringing more athletes with high support needs through the system was another topic that led to a good discussion.

As well as joint meetings, individual meetings were held between the IOSDs and key IPC staff. The gathering is now expected to take place at least once a year.

Working alone and together, the IOSDs play a key role in the development of Para sports through competitions, training, education and advocacy for athletes and people within the Paralympic Movement and beyond.

IWAS will host its World Games 2019 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 12-16 February. World Intellectual Impairment Sport stages the Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-19 October. Both events feature multiple sports, some of which are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and are expected to attract hundreds of athletes from around the world.

IBSA will host its General Assembly in July 2019 in Fort Wayne, USA, where it aims to bring together members to agree on a new five-year strategy. The centrepiece of this is for IBSA to become the world’s leading organisation for developing sports for people with visual impairments inside and outside the Paralympic Games.

CPISRA hosted its World Games in 2018 in Sant Cugat, Spain. It has also been instrumental in growing RaceRunning, which was added to the World Para Athletics programme at the European Championships in 2018. The sport will now also appear at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai, UAE.

 

 

World Intellectual Impairment Sport suspends Ukrainian athlete for two months

/in /by

World Intellectual Impairment Sport (International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments) has suspended Ukraine’s Iuliia Shuliar for two months following a violation of article 2.1 of the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Anti-Doping Rules.

Shuliar, who competed in athletics, tested positive for Thiazides at the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Summer Games in Paris, France, in July during an in-competition test. Thiazides appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances.

Shuliar suspended herself from competition voluntarily in September 2018 and provided evidence to World Intellectual Impairment Sport that the substance had been taken for medical reasons and without any intent to improve her performances. In accordance with World Intellectual Impairment Sport anti-doping rules, the period of ineligibility can be as high as four years but was reduced to two months based on the evidence provided. The suspension concluded in November 2018.

All results obtained by Ms. Shuliar at the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Summer Games will be disqualified including loss of any medals, team points and records.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code and works hard to promote clean sport. In 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport conducted 20 tests with one adverse analytical finding.

Around 30 psychologists gathered in Cairo as Egypt focuses on athlete eligibility

Eligibility workshops for Americas and Asia announced

/in /by

The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has published details of two regional eligibility workshops to take place in 2019.

The sessions are being held with the support of the Agitos Foundation and aim to give participants an introduction to the process.

The first will be held in Puerto Rico from 2-3 April for all World Intellectual Impairment Sport Americas countries. It will be followed a month later in Hong Kong from 2-4 May for World Intellectual Impairment Sport Asia members.

The workshops will provide an orientation to the eligibility process for athletes with an intellectual impairment together with updates on the additional additional impairment groups.

Registration is set to open in the coming weeks. Workshops are also open to countries that are not World Intellectual Impairment Sport members to expand their reach.

Professor Jan Burns, World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ Head of Eligibility, said: “We have done a lot of work in the past few years to improve our members’ expertise around eligibility. This is part of our role in making sure they are aware of the basics but also up to date with the latest research and developments in the area.

“The sessions are important because they give members the tools to provide a high quality service to their athletes. In turn this allows NEOs [National Eligibility Officers] to assess more potential competitors much quicker than before, allowing team sizes to expand over a shorter period of time, whilst maintaining our high standards regarding eligibility.

“We are looking forward to welcoming participants from Asia and Americas as World Intellectual Impairment Sport builds the quality of high performance sport for athletes with intellectual impairments around the world.”

The workshops are part of a successful bid by World Intellectual Impairment Sport for funding through the Agitos Foundation’s Grant Support Programme. The Agitos Foundation is the development arm of the International Paralympic Committee.

A Japanese skier with an intellectual impairment races during a Nordic skiing event

Skiing and cross-country athletics Worlds added to 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport competition calendar

/in /by

The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has announced the dates and locations for the 2019 alpine and Nordic skiing and cross-country athletics World Championships.

First up will be the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Skiing World Championships in Autrans and nearby Lans en Vercors in France from 5-11 March.

Both alpine and cross-country skiing will feature as 60 athletes from 10 countries take on the slopes and trails.

Alpine skiing will feature slalom, giant slalom and super-G. Nordic skiers will compete in the cross-country sprint, short and long distance races as well as a 3×2.5km relay.

Autrans is known as the Nordic skiing capital of France and it hosted cross-country skiing events for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble.

Lans en Vercors, also in southeastern France, will host the alpine skiing. The Championships are being organised by the French Federation for Adaptive Sports.

A month later Ostrzeszów, Poland, will stage the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Athletics Cross-Country World Championships from 4-8 April. Men’s and women’s short, long and team events will be contested.

Around 30 athletes from five countries are expected to line-up for the event which is organised by the Polish World Intellectual Impairment Sport member, ZSS Sprawni Razem.

Marc Truffaut, World Intellectual Impairment Sport President, said: “It is great to get 2019 underway with two new additions to the competition calendar. Following on from 2018 where we had a record number of new athletes across all sports, we expect both events to be highly competitive.

“This year is a Global Games year but World Intellectual Impairment Sport also continues to provide opportunities for sports not on the programme, and therefore for a wide variety of athletes with intellectual impairments.

“My thanks go to the organisers of both Championships for their commitment to hosting what I am sure will be memorable events.”

Both Championships will feature athletes competing in II1 (athletes with an intellectual impairment) as well as II2 (athletes with a more significant intellectual impairment) and II3 (athletes with high-functioning autism.)

The last World Intellectual Impairment Sport Skiing World Championships were held in Zakopane, Poland in 2018. The previous edition of the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Athletics Cross-Country World Championships were held in Eperney/Reims, France in 2017.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport searches for Championships hosts

Table tennis at World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games to be recognised by ITTF

/in /by

The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has announced that table tennis competitions at the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, will be recognised by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) for the first time.

The move means that all class 11 players competing between 12-19 October will be able to achieve ranking points for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics according to the ITTF’s factor 20 status.

The World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are the world’s biggest high performance sports event for athletes with intellectual impairments. The 2019 edition will feature 11 sports, with table tennis the latest to be recognised by the relevant International Federation.

Marc Truffaut, World Intellectual Impairment Sport President, said: “We are absolutely delighted to achieve this historic milestone thanks to a great partnership with the ITTF. We want the Global Games to be an important stop on the calendar, especially as they always take place in the year before the Paralympics.

“Brisbane 2019 is aiming to be the biggest edition yet with 1,000 athletes from 80 countries competing across all sports. This news will go a long way to attracting the absolute best table tennis players as they reach for Global Games titles and Tokyo 2020 qualification.”

Australia is preparing to host Oceania’s first Global Games in Brisbane with high quality venues, transport and accommodation. It is expected to set the standard for future editions.

“ITTF is very happy to establish a long term cooperation with World Intellectual Impairment Sport and this approval of the Global Games is an awesome first step. Intellectually impaired athletes is the biggest population in numbers inside Para sport and their progressive integration is totally consistent with our “Table tennis for all” values. I am sure that Brisbane will witness a great competition next October and athletes will enjoy the quality they deserve,” Steve Dainton, Chief Executive Officer of the ITTF, said. 

Robyn Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Games Company who are organising the event, said: “The recognition by the ITTF to award the table tennis competition (class 11) with a factor 20 status is monumental to not only the Global Games 2019 and the world’s best players with an intellectual impairment, but to the relationship between World Intellectual Impairment Sport and ITTF into the future.  Both Federations are working in partnership to ensure that table tennis is developed at all levels across the globe for these talented athletes.”

 As well as table tennis, the other Paralympic sports on the Global Games programme – swimming and athletics – will be recognised by World Para Swimming and World Para Athletics respectively.

Taekwondo, a growing sport for athletes with intellectual impairments which is led by World Taekwondo, will also be sanctioned.

Basketball, cycling, futsal, rowing, tennis, cricket and hockey competitions will act as the World Championships for each sport, with World Intellectual Impairment Sport acting as the current International Federation.

More information about the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games can be found at the official website or at www.inas.org. Entries for 2019 are currently open.