An athlete with an intellectual impairment smiles after receiving her medal

#WeAreSport: Catching up with ambassador Caytlyn Sharp

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By Gaurav Mokhasi | For World Intellectual Impairment Sport

To people who do not know her better, Australia’s Caytlyn Sharp, with her love for music by 5 Seconds of Summer and complaints about mandatory attendance at school, would seem like any other 16-year-old.

But peek beyond the surface and another side emerges: a champion athlete who advocates passionately for equality.

In 2018 Sharp became an International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) #WeAreSport ambassador. This role required Sharp to set-up Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and use them to promote her life as an athlete. The aim was to show other women and girls like Sharp that they too could become elite athletes.

Those accounts have inspired and given several girls the initial nudge to compete and thrive in para-athletics.

“I saw something in them and helped them do a couple of events with me first,” Sharp said. “Soon, some were competing at the district level, state and even, nationals. They said it was the best experience of their high-school.”

Sharp began swimming when she was eight and later transitioned to athletics. Within no time in 2017, aged just 14, Sharp represented Australia for the first time at the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

“It was noisy and hard to understand people because everyone spoke different languages,” Sharp said of her first major competition. “But winning the high jump and standing on the podium with the Australian anthem playing was really good. I couldn’t stop smiling.” Sharp jokes that the photo was taken at the moment when her smile was at its worst, before her mother, Cindy McDougall, corrects her, laughing, “I actually think it’s the best smile in a photo she’s ever had.”

Sharp is looking forward immensely to her home World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Brisbane from 12- 19 October. She has not been to the city in over ten years, and is thrilled by the prospect of having her great-grandmother watch her compete live.

“She’s actually 86 and I haven’t seen her since I was four or five. I’d love to meet her again and catch up”, Sharp said fondly.

While high jump remains her primary focus, she will also compete in the triple jump and long jump and try out for the 100m and 200m races, “just for fun”. Between now and October, Sharp will be competing in the National Championships in Sydney and several preparatory tournaments at the school, district and regional levels.

An athlete with autism, Sharp often faces problems with crowds, even when they think they are being encouraging. Loud cheers, the sound of clapping and people calling out her name disrupt her rhythm and make it difficult for her to focus before a race. “But they’re normally all right once I signal them to stop”, she said.

Sharp also dislikes when people, especially athletes without impairments, treat her differently:

“They think I’m dumb and talk to me really slowly, often in a baby-voice or with hand actions!”

But things are steadily getting better. Sharp trains four days a week in Warrnambool with a group of able-bodied athletes and with them, she is always smiling and laughing, even after grueling training sessions. “They all understand me and I love training with them”, she said.

Sharp credits her best friend, Dayna Crees, who competes in long jump and has cerebral palsy, for improving her outlook towards competition and life in general. Referring to Crees, Sharp says, “Though each event drains her physically and mentally, she is always smiling. She always makes it a point to go up and thank everybody, even when she doesn’t win or is feeling angry inside.”

Australian long-jumper, Brooke Stratton, who competed at the Ro 2016 Olympics, has also been a long-time inspiration and mentor to Sharp. Sharp hopes to emulate her idol and compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, but she will most likely have to compete in long jump, as neither high jump nor triple jump (Sharp’s preferred competitions) are Paralympic events in the T20 category at the moment.

Through all of this, Sharp has continued her advocacy for Para sports and women in athletics. Her concerted efforts have resulted in the Hampden Specialist School, where she studied previously, starting a comprehensive sport programme allowing students with intellectual impairments to compete in cross-country, swimming and athletics at a state-level.

“I love getting all the women to get out there, have a go and do something in sports,” Sharp said: “They really enjoy it once they try it, and I enjoy seeing them smile.”

Gloria Agblemagnon during a shot-put throw at the London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships

Next stage of entries opens for 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games

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The second entry stage for the 2019 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Global Games taking place in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-19 October is now open.

The 2019 edition of the event is expected to be the biggest and best yet with more than 1,000 athletes competing in 11 sports.

The second entry stage invites countries to submit their teams by number, pay a 20 per cent deposit and indicate likely arrival and departure dates. World Intellectual Impairment Sport is also asking for the number of athletes requiring classification.

The Global Games take place less than one year ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, so for the sports of table tennis, athletics and swimming it is a key stop on the calendar. Many athletes have made their international debut at the event and gone on to medal at the Paralympics.

The second entry stage closes on 12 April.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport is also reminding its members that any new eligibility applications – the first step towards classification by the relevant International Federation in some sports – must be sent as soon as possible in order to guarantee approval in time for Brisbane 2019. The demand experienced in previous years, which has seen the number of applications rise to nearly 650 in 12 months, has continued into 2019.

The World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are the world’s biggest sports events for athletes with intellectual impairments. The 2019 edition will feature athletics, swimming, table tennis, tennis, cycling, basketball, taekwondo, futsal, rowing, cricket and field hockey with the Paralympic sports recognised by the relevant International Federations.

A group of skiers compete in a cross-country race

France and Russia dominate at 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Alpine and Nordic Skiing Worlds

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French and Russian skiers grabbed the majority of gold medals on offer at the 2019 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Skiing World Championships in France between 7-10 March.

The competition featured alpine and cross-country skiing at Lans en Vercors and Autrans respectively.

France’s Thomas Girard grabbed three out of a possible four golds in the men’s alpine skiing II1.

Girard’s (1:38.28) first victory in the slalom on the opening day of competition saw him lead two of his teammates onto the podium.

Antoine Maure (1:39.24) took silver ahead of Antoine Martinato (1:40.66).

Girard (1:11.08) then skied to the win in the super-G to beat Japan’s defending champion Yoshihide Kimura (1:12.32). Japan enjoyed another podium courtesy of Yusuke Kizuki (1:13.86) in third.

The Frenchman then secured the win in the super-combined in 2:49.36. Martinato and Maure were second and third respectively for another all-French top three.

It was Kimura who managed to break Girard’s dominance in the giant slalom, winning in 1:51.96. Girard (1:57.43) settled for silver while compatriot Martinato (2:00.14) claimed bronze.

A skier with down syndrome

In the men’s slalom II2, France’s Paul Riche (1:56.72) was the only skier to dip under one minute in both of his runs to take gold.

Austria’s Markus Grameiser (2:03.74) was second, followed by Japan’s Hiroki Miyoshi (2:04.97).

Riche swept the board in all four disciplines, also wining the giant slalom, alpine-combined and super-G

Grameiser achieved a 100 per cent podium record with a further silver from the super-G and alpine-combined and bronze from giant slalom.

In the women’s II1, Austria’s Eva Maria Dunser and the Czech Republic’s Denisa Macurova shared the golden gongs.

Macurova (1:59.31) claimed first blood in the slalom on the opening day. Japan’s Kayo Matsumoto (2:04.65) was second, followed by Austria’s Stefanie Swatz (2:15.28).

Dunser took over during the giant slalom storming to two leading runs to finish first with a combined time of 1:58.16.

Macurova (2:08.26) was second and was followed onto the podium by Tuba Celik Tekin (2:20.64) of Turkey with bronze.

The Austrian was once again victorious in the super-G with a top three that exactly mirrored the giant slalom.

Macurova however doubled up in the alpine-combined, followed by Matsumoto and Zwatz.

In the women’s II2, Finland’s Bea Westerstrahle was the victor. The Fin was joined by Poland’s Agnieska Kociolek in silver and her teammate Patrycja Strama in third.

The Japanese team of Kimura, Miyoshi and Matsumoto won gold in the parallel giant slalom. Austria’s Alexander Haissl, Grameiser and Dunser were second followed by Italy’s Manuel Volgger, Gabriele Rondi and Kathrin Oberhauser.

Nordic skiing

Russia dominated on the cross-country tracks with multiple wins for Ivan Volegov and Irina Guber in the II1 category.

In the men’s Volegov claimed victory in the 10km classic and 15km freestyle races.

In the 10km he led teammate Ivan Martiushev by a 17 second margin. Estonia’s Hans Teearu was third.

Volegov stood on top of the podium in the 15km, ahead of Poland’s Patryk Jakiela. Another Russian, Aleksandr Sorokin, rounded off the podium with bronze.

In the men’s II2, France’s Clement Colomby swept the board with golds from the 10km and 15km.

The women’s events were dominated by Guber who took wins in the 1.2km sprint, 5km and 10km races.

In the sprint, Victoria Prokofieva proved no match for her compatriot who had led the qualification and semi-finals. The Russian finished second in the final in front of Poland’s Magorzata Pernal in third.

The 10km featured another dominant display from Guber with Pernal this time claiming silver. Elena Shchukina added another medal for Russia with bronze.

Guber led an all Russian top three in the 5km as Prokofieva finished second and Alfia Gubaidulina third.

Russian skiers with an intellectual impairment stand on the podium

Rounding off the action was the men’s, women’s and mixed relays. Russia took both the men’s and women’s but Poland broke their form in the mixed.

Jakiela, Jerzy Krzanowski and Pernal forced the Russians into second, crossing the line 13 seconds ahead of their opponents to grab gold. Martiushev, Volegov and Prokofieva took silver followed by Italy’s Luca Berardi, Peter Schroffenegger and Silvia Cattaneo.

Wai Lok Tang waves to the crowd during a medal ceremony at the Rio 2016 Paralympics

World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming Open Championships (Asia) to head to Hong Kong

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The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has announced that the 2020 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming Open Championships (Asia) will be held at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Swimming Pool in Hong Kong, China, from 9-11 January.

The competition will follow the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, and take place just over seven months ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

As a result, around 150 of Asia’s best swimmers from 12 countries are expected to compete.

Dave Harman, Chairperson of the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming Committee, said: “This is only the second regional World Intellectual Impairment Sport Championships of its kind to take place in Asia so we are excited to add it as a building block to our calendar.

“It will be a perfect preview for Tokyo 2020 as well as offering athletes in other eligibility groups the chance to compete at the highest level.

“We cannot wait to kick-start a very important year in Hong Kong by welcoming new Global Games champions and potential future Paralympic medallists too.

“I would like to thank the Hong Kong Sports Association for Persons with an Intellectual Disability (HKSAPID) for organising the competition. I look forward to working with them to deliver an exceptional event.”

Patrick Chan, Chairperson of HKSPAID, said:  “We are proud to be able to host this competition for the first time in Hong Kong and to welcome the best swimmers from all over the world. My team is making the best efforts to make it a pleasant and unforgettable experience for all participants.”

The 200m freestyle S14 Paralympic champion Tang Wai Lok, one of Hong Kong’s best swimmers with an intellectual impairment, said: “I can’t wait to race with so many excellent swimmers in this event, I’m always excited and ready to swim my best.”

Three eligibility groups will be contested in Hong Kong. The II1 group contains athletes with intellectual impairments who also compete in the S14 classification in World Para Swimming events and the Paralympics.

II2 is for athletes with a more significant impairment, such as Down syndrome. Following a year-long trial this group is now a full medal event. The II3 group for athletes with high functioning autism will take place on a trial-only basis as research continues.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming have applied to World Para Swimming to sanction the event.

The 2020 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming Open Championships (Asia) will follow the Brisbane 2019 Global Games, the world’s biggest high performance sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment. Around 1,000 athletes are expected to compete in 11 sports between 12-19 October.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.