athletes andabilities - tagesspiegel · athletes andabilities in cooperation with speakingup eu...

Athletesand AbilitiesIN COOPERATION WITH

SPEAKING UPEU Commissioner Thyssenon actions for social inclusion

RISING UPPara-triathlon and Para-canoeintroduced at Rio 2016 Games

CONTENT

7 | AIMING FOR CHANGEZahra Nemati, the first womanrepresenting Iran in both Olympicsand Paralympics hopes the Gamescan influence society’s perception

8 & 9 | RIO IMPRESSIONSA picture can say more than words.Impressions from the Rio 2016Games and our reporters at work

10 | MIXED ZONEShort but interesting: Veterans atvolleyball - Fill the seats - Nordicpride - Priceless experience – Alteredambassadors

11 | SEE YOU IN TOKYO?The International ParalympicCommittee took a stand banning theentire Russian team from the Rio andPyeongchang Paralympics forsystematic doping. But what comesnext for Russian athletes after theban?

12 | BEING INSPIRINGParalympians are not only admired byspectators and many other athletes,they are also inspired by their ownheroes

13 | DEBUTANT AT 65Does the thrill of winning medalskeep paralympians young? Brazilianequestrian Vera Lucia Mazzilli is justone of many successful athletes over40 competing at the Rio 2016 Games

14 | KICKING OFF INCLUSIONThe professorship for paralympicsports at German Sport UniversityCologne initiated by DGUV andGerman NPC is very important, sincesports and physical activity areessential parts of rehabilitation

15 | LOOKING AT LEGACY„Performances will act as a catalystfor social change”: Paralympics don’tonly promise to be an amazing eventbut also bring lasting change. But dothey really?

16 | KONNICHIWA TOKYOThe 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyopromises various highlights – like thedebut of two rapidly growing sports:badminton and taekwondo. Japan willalso make history as the first countryto host the Paralympic Games twice,after first hosting in 1964.

4 | TRIATHLON IS THE FUTURETriathlon clearly deserves to be partof the Paralympic Games

5 | PATHWAYS TO INTEGRATIONAn interview withEuropean CommissionerMarianne Thyssen, responsible foremployment, social affairs, skills andlabour mobility Imprint

Publishers: Lorenz Maroldt,Stephan-Andreas CasdorffEditors: Clara Kaminsky,Carsten Kloth, Annette Kögel,Karin Preugschat, Claus Vetter Reporters: Gustavo Altman,Marc Bädorf, Tillmann Bauer,Natália Belizario, Thaís Contarin,Jonathan Fridman, Julian Hilgers,David Hock, Hannah Hofer,Miriam Karout, Lisa Kuner,Hugo L'Abbate, Fernanda Lagoeiro, Leonardo Levatti,Guilherme Longo, Milan Marcus,Lucy Michaeloudis, Letícia Paiva,Jorge Salhani, João Pedro Soares,Keri Trigg, Isabella Wimmer andAnne Balzer (PZ Social Media)Art Directors: Julia Schneider,Sabine WilmsProduction: Detlev Jackschenties,Fritz Schanninger, Marco Schiffner,Mike Meadows (corrector)Photographer: Thilo Rückeis

Athletes and Abilities is a jointproject of Tagesspiegel, Berlinand Deutsche GesetzlicheUnfallversicherung (DGUV).

Title: German para-triathleteMartin Schulz gets out of the water.In the background: Sugarloaf Moun-tain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Photo: Imago/Pressefoto Baumann

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EDITORIAL

Anyone wandering around Rio these days can’thelp but notice how powerful the ParalympicGames are as a motor for inclusion. The Brazi-lian spectators, who seemed so sceptical atfirst, are flocking into the stadiums in thou-sands. They are seizing the opportunity to taketheir families to the Olympic Park once again –and cheer on world-class athletes they hadn’teven heard of moments before. Leaving the cur-rent momentum aside, we need to keep inmind that inclusion is still not a matter ofcourse, but something we can all see as a taskto work on together. Sometime it doesn’t takemore than a slight impetus – making the Para-lympics even more important. Every two years,they send out an impulse that resonates muchfurther than just at the Games. The spectatorshave seen athletes master various challengeswith their respective abilities. They have alsowatched barriers being dismantled, physicallyand, almost more importantly, psychologicallyand emotionally. This is a valuable develop-ment because inclusion is not yet self-evidentin Brazilian society. And if we are honest, inclu-sion is more an objective than a matter ofcourse in Europe as well. Our newspaper “Ath-letes and Abilities” contributes to this change –with its passion for sports and the belief in thepower of sports for rehabilitation and cohe-sion. Even fans might be a little bit surprised:On some days the stadiums were even fullerthan a few weeks ago during the Olympics. Agreat success for the city of Rio, for sports and,most of all, for an inclusive society.LORENZ MAROLDTEditor-in-Chief Tagesspiegel

Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.This beautifully phrased thought by Max Frischcan also be applied to the new title of this jour-nal. In "Athletes and Abilities" we put the spot-light even more on the ability and performanceof persons with disabilities. At the same time,the journal continues to be closely linked to theParalympic Games, which it has followed since2004.From the journal's inception the young edito-rial teams endeavoured to tell stories and de-pict the backdrop in each case. The topic wasnot limited to sport, but also included its rele-vance to social rehabilitation and inclusion. Weremain faithful to this depth of content and willcontinue to develop it under a bold new ban-ner.The latest edition from Rio brings you criticalanalyses and exciting interviews on the back-ground to the Games. The journal's familiarquality remains the same, as does the particu-lar perspective of the young journalists respon-sible for its content. Enjoy reading it!DR JOACHIM BREUERDirector GeneralGerman Social Accident Insurance (DGUV)

I commend the Paralympic Post and its energe-tic global team of young reporters for workingto promote the substantial achievements of theParalympic Movement.The Paralympic Movement and the United Nati-ons share fundamental values. We both standfor equality, dignity, inclusion and respect.Sport is a wonderful catalyst for inclusion. Ithelps to transcend barriers and highlight ourcommon humanity.That is why we hold that access to sport, physi-cal activity and play is a fundamental humanright. Sport has a particularly important role toplay in promoting and implementing the Con-vention on the Rights of Persons with Disabili-ties. The Paralympic Movement is a key ally.Not only do the Paralympic Games showcasethe extraordinary abilities and potential of ath-letes living with a disability, they promote therights of all persons with disabilities and pro-vide a catalyst for lasting change.Paralympic athletes are change makers androle models. They are symbols of courage andaspiration for us all. With Rio de Janeiro hos-ting the first Paralympic Games to be held inSouth America, we have a tremendous opportu-nity to inspire awareness and positive socialchange around the continent. I count on the Pa-ralympic Post and the Paralympic Movement tocontinue to inspire the world with examples ofcourage and determination that emphasise ourinherent equality. Let us work together for ajust and inclusive world of dignity and opportu-nity forall.BAN KI-MOONSecretary-General United Nations

Paralympic spirit, enthusiasm and excitement in every character – theinformative issue of ‘Athletes and Ablities’ you are reading was writ-ten by 22 young talents from Germany, Brazil and Great Britain. Theyhave put their hearts into their articles to bring you gripping news andfascinating background information you can find in the joint newspa-per project by ‘Der Tagesspiegel’ and the German Social Accident In-surance (DGUV). The international team also writes for the GermanParalympics Zeitung und the Brazilian Jornal Paralímpico. The young18 to 23 year old journalists are not only incredibly talented but also apleasure to work with. They are always happy to write additional arti-cles, translate for their colleagues, watch another event or get an ex-tra quote. If they are not being interviewed themselves, that is. Kee-ping up with their activities and interviews is nearly impossible, theteam's WhatsApp group is the best live ticker imaginable - medals,records and results are shared immediately with a complementingsnapshot, of course. CLARA KAMINSKY

Our Team 2016

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Tagesspiegel ATHLETES AND ABILITIES | 3

F ighting the waves, conqueringsteep mountains by bike and batt-ling the streets in a run amid oneof the most beautiful landscapes

in the world. This is triathlon – one of thenewsportsat the2016 Games taking placeat the incredible Copacabana in Rio deJaneiro. Para-canoe will make its debut atthis marvellous venue, being one of twosports that are part of the paralympic pro-gramme for the first time.Compared to the Olympics, para-triathlonis a sprint distance race. It includes a 750metre swim, 20 kilometre bike ride and afive kilometre run, making it an excitingsport to watch. The International TriathlonUnion (ITU) says that the subdisciplines oftriathlon are "three of the most prolificand recognisable medal sports in the his-tory of the Paralympic Games." This is whythe ITU has worked hard since 2008 to in-cludepara-triathlon intheparalympicpro-gramme. Demonstrating that triathlon isa thrilling sport that clearly deserves to bepart of the Paralympic Games has not

beenachallenge.Becauseof its three sub-disciplines, it is a great sport for athleteswith various types of impairments. Athle-tes like German Stefan Lösler are convin-ced: "Triathlon is the best sport in theworld!" And everyone else in the move-ment is really passionate about it. TheITU's paratriathlon manager Eric Angst-adt Torres states: "The sport is going toadd a tremendous value to the paralympicmovement."Yet, in order to become a paralympicsport, para-triathlon had to meet thethree main criteria of the International Pa-ralympic Committee (IPC): universality,quantityand quality. The first two refer to acertain number of regions and nations inwhich a sport has to be widely practised.According to the third criteria of the IPC,quality, "parameters and conditions ne-cessary for success" have to be in placeandclassificationisoneof thesecriticalpa-rameters. To ensure that competitionsarefairand onlyathleteswithsimilarabili-

ties compete against each other, the IPCset up a classification system. By the timetriathlon was included in the paralympicprogramme for Rio the classification wasnot established. "One of the criticalaspects of including triathlon in the Para-lympics was the requirement to changethe current classification system," saysAngstadt Torres from the ITU. It is neces-saryforathletestobeable toplantheirtrai-ning according to their class in which theywill be competing.Many experts and volunteers worked hardto provide a solid base for a classificationsystem. Torres says: "We communicatedwith the IPC and other national federati-ons and tried to accommodate in the bestandfastestway."Bymid-2014, theclassifi-cationsystemfor para-triathlonwasfinali-sed with five classes, PT1 to PT5.Of course, a two-year time frame does notprovideidealconditionsfor athletestopre-pare in time. But many of today's elite ath-letes have already done at least one of thesubdisciplines before triathlon became apartof theparalympicprogramme.But tri-athlonisnotonlysupposedtobeacompeti-tive sport. It is important to the ITU to pro-mote inclusion and establish role modelsin triathlon. In GreatBritain triathlon com-petitions are open to people of all abilities,no matter whether they have one arm orleg, two or none at all. Another example isthe "tri for inclusion" race, a public run forchildren of all abilities to experience sporttogether,regardlessof theirphysicaldiffe-rences. Also the American para-triathlonclub "dare2tri" offers free training equip-ment to everyone who has an interest inpara-triathlon. Initiatives like this attractnewcomers of all abilities to the excitingsport of triathlon. "We truly believe triath-lon is for one and all, no matter the age orability," says Marisol Casado, President ofthe ITU.Maybe the champions of para-triathlon’sdebut will be an inspiration for others."There are so many athletes that came be-fore us, who really paved the way andmade this possible," says Hailey Danise-wicz, silver medallist of the women's PT2triathlon.And she is one of themany athle-tes who are inspired by the diversity of tri-athlon. HANNAH HOFER, 18 YEARS

When watching sports, Brazilians loveto cheer. So watching goalball wasquite a new experience for them.Even Tom, the Paralympic Games mas-cot, was welcomed to the Future Arenawith a warm round of applause beforeBrazil's first goalball match against Swe-den. However, goalball proved to be achallenge for more than 3,000 excitedBrazilian fans. To judge the ball's posi-tion and movement, the athletes with a vi-sual impairment rely on the sound theball makes. Therefore, the audiencemust remain completely silent while theball is in play. Patricia Cruz, who likemany spectators watched her first evergoalball match, admits this was difficultbecause "we Brazilians like to be loud.We don't know the sport very well, so wedon't know when we are allowed to cheerand when not to."The referees of this particular game hadto call several official breaks, to ask

those who could not remain silent toleave the stadium.After understanding the importance ofbeing quiet while the ball is in play, thefans used every interruption of the gameto make their voices heard. "Brazil"chants echoed throughout the stadiumwhenever a substitution took place, and

during the 45-second timeouts Mexicanwaves went through the arena. After Bra-zil scored the final goal two seconds be-fore the match ended, the cheering andclapping continued until the team left thefield.During the Brazilian women's wheelchairbasketball match against arch-rival Ar-gentina on the other hand, there was nota single moment of silence. The fans ex-

pressed their pride in being Brazilian in apopular chant and celebrated every suc-cessful Brazilian action. Inevitably, therewas some booing when Argentina won afree throw, but overall the atmosphere re-mained positive throughout the Brazilianvictory.However, nobody can animate Brazilianfans as much as swimmer Daniel Dias.Around 10,000 spectators watched the200 metre freestyle final in the S5 cate-gory, in which Dias won his 16th paralym-pic medal. When the 28-year old appea-red on the screens, cheers erupted thatdrowned the announcer's voice. Nobodyremained seated as the Aquatics Sta-dium vibrated with every stroke Diasmade towards his gold medal. Leavingthe pool, Dias was met with chants of "weare the champions" by the jubilant crowd.One thing is clear: no matter which sport,Brazilians love to celebrate. MILAN MARCUS, 19 YEARS

Triathlon isthe future

The goal is not to cheer

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Triathlon clearly deserves to be part ofthe Games – it is a great sport forathletes with various types of impairment

TRIATHLON ISNEW AT THE GAMES

THE REFEREES HAD TOCALL OFFICIAL BREAKS

4 | Tagesspiegel ATHLETES AND ABILITIES

Loud - and sometimes too loud.Brazilian fans (picture above)at the first goalball match of theBrazilian team (below).

Do you think Paralympic Games like the London 2012Paralympics can influence inclusion in Europe? Whatimpact do you think we can expect from the Rio 2016Games?Sports play a crucial role in promoting social inclusionof persons with disabilities. Since 1960, when the firstParalympic Games took place, awareness has been in-creasingly raised on disability. Undoubtedly, the Para-lympics provide athletes with a disability an opportunityto showcase their talents, raise awareness, challengecommonly-held stereotypes and foster inclusion. At theRio 2016 Games, there are new sports in the Paralympicprogramme - this proves that Paralympic Games wantto include more athletes with disabilities from aroundthe world. Within the EU, too, people become moreaware of the Paralympics as Member States organisemore national events on sports that include people withdisabilities. The London 2012 Paralympics have been agood example because they featured also events for theintellectually disabled in selected categories.In addition, countries having organised the Paralympicsmake a great effort to improve accessibility of their ci-ties and sport venues. This facilitates interaction bet-ween persons with disabilities and those without. At thesame time, improvements on accessibility help to en-hance the sustainability of our cities, making them moreinclusive for older persons. I believe and I hope that thesubsequent countries responsible for the next OlympicGames will keep the Games in Rio and London as goodexamples on inclusion, so that in the future even moreathletes with disabilities can get involved.

How do you see the EU’s performance on a globalscale in terms of inclusion? What can we learn fromother regions or nations in order to become a moreinclusive society?The European Union and the vast majority of its MemberStates are parties to the United Nations Convention onthe Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as othercountries around the world, including Brazil. The Con-vention enables persons with disabilities to participateon an equal basis with others in recreational, leisureand sporting activities. The European Commission'soverarching objective is upward convergence of Mem-ber States' social policy. This social policy binds societytogether, creating solidarity and a sense of belonging.There are a number of EU actions focusing on social in-clusion, particularly in relation to people with a disabi-

lity. For instance, the European Social Fund regulationplaces a special emphasis on people with disabilities,and it promotes pathways to integration and re-entryinto employment of people with disabilities. During theperiod 2014-2020, at least 20% of the European SocialFund should be allocated to social inclusion. This is agood example how Member States can better use EUmoney and become more inclusive.Another example is Erasmus+, the EU's programme tosupport education, training, youth and sport in Europe.Erasmus+ 2014-2020 supports sport for people with dis-abilities through incentive measures in the field of dualcareers for athletes and social inclusion in and throughsport. For example, the Commission has supported theEuropean Special Olympics Summer Games in Polandin 2010, the World Special Olympic Games in Greece in2011, the European Paralympic Youth Games in theCzech Republic in 2012, and most recently, the SpecialOlympics European Summer Games in Antwerp in 2014.The games in Brazil are not over yet. However, the feed-back from the games in London was very positive interms of inclusion, participation and raising awarenessabout disabilities and sport. I hope that Brazil will setone extra step in that direction.

One of your missions is to improve conditions in labourand equal job opportunities. What are the main pro-jects directed at people with a disability in this regard?What are the EU’s next steps?One of the priorities of the European Commission, led byPresident Juncker, is to strengthen Europe’s competiti-veness and to stimulate investment for the purpose ofjob creation. We need to create more jobs so that EUcitizens, including persons with disabilities, can live with

dignity and prosperity. This is also one of the priorities ofour European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and fully inline with the UN Convention on the Rights of Personswith Disabilities.Our Employment Equality Directive prohibits discrimina-tion on the grounds of disability in the fields of employ-ment and occupation. It has been transposed by all 28Member States into their national law and the Commis-sion is strictly monitoring the correctness of nationallaws and their application. Discrimination in the workplace is not acceptable. The Commission will continueto work to ensure the full application of the EmploymentEquality Directive by Member States.In that regard, the Commission promotes a partnershipapproach involving all stakeholders. Public authoritiescan help people gain skills to get jobs and contribute togrowth; companies can commit to diversity and, as a re-sult of diversity, benefit from enhanced productivity, in-novation and performance. Trade unions, NGOs and aca-demia can contribute valuable insights and help sprea-ding best practices on diversity and non-discrimination.The Commission is also prioritising the issue of accessi-bility, with our proposal for a European Accessibility Act.Accessibility is indispensable for social inclusion, especi-ally against the background of demographic ageing andthe digital transition. It is expected that in 2020 120 mil-lion Europeans will experience a degree of disability.This increases the need for accessibility in everyday life.Via technological innovation many everyday servicesand products are digitalised. This offers new opportuni-ties for people with disabilities to participate in societyand in the labour market. But the condition is that thedigital products and services are made accessible to allpeople, regardless of their abilities. We want to endorseinnovation, but we also want to make sure that no one isleft behind.Member States can use the European Structural and In-vestment Funds to support the active inclusion of peoplewith disabilities in society and the labour market. In par-ticular, many persons with disabilities belong to thegroup of long-term unemployed persons. I am convin-ced that we will see a positive development of the em-ployment situation of persons with disabilities whenMember States will apply our recently adopted recom-mendation on long term unemployment.

Commissioner Thyssen, thank you for the interview.

"Promotepathways tointegration"

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Marianne Thyssen is theMember of the EuropeanCommission responsible foremployment, social affairs,skills and labour mobility.She spoke to Athletes andAbilities about EU actionsfocusing on social inclusionof people with a disability


Our Social Media Teamreports live from Rio.Follow us on:facebook.com/ParalympicsZeitungtwitter.com/parazeitunginstagram.com/ParalympicsZeitungsnapchat.com/add/parazeitung

The memories of my time as a youthjournalist for the Paralympics ZeitungVancouver 2010 are still vivid.And I am not an exception. Nico Feißt was onthe London 2012 team as well as in Sochi forthe 2014 Games and is now spokesperson forthe German athletics team. "Now the Para-lympics have become part of me," he says.The Paralympics Zeitung project 2016 is, onceagain, a chance for 22 young people to experi-ence what it means to be a journalist. A journa-list needs curiosity, flexibility and somethingto write about. This holds even more true forsocial media editors who are included in thisyear's team for the first time. They are formerprint editors who are still part of the Paralym-pics Zeitung family and still reporting on the

Paralympics – just in a faster medium. SinceMay, the six editors have been promoting theproject and the Rio 2016 Games online. Thistask presents diverse challenges. It is notonly auto-correct that drives some membersto the limits of their patience. What to dowhen the Brazilian SIM cards aren't workingand the WiFi connection is down? How to stayup to date and take the time difference intoaccount?Information has to be adjusted for variouschannels; film material must be producedand cut. And how to cope with bad weatherwhich makes filming impossible? Maybe justfollow the advice of our hostel manager: "Nosun? No work!" This is, of course, never anoption.And, when the last post is out, there is onlyone thing to do: charge the mobile and beready for the next day. ANNE BALZER, Social Media Editor

I It felt like the start of something bigin the summer of 2004 when GermanPresident Horst Köhler visited the edi-torial offices at the German School in

Athens. Starting from the premier issuein 2004, published in A4 format and distri-buted locally, the Paralympics Zeitung(PZ) grew to become the international,multilingual, and inclusive project it istoday.The PZ has been writing history in sportsjournalism for more than a decade –thanks to the project’s co-publisher, theGerman Social Accident Insurance(DGUV). The DGUV has always seenpara-sports as key to a successful rehabi-litation process. Long before the Paralym-pics gained today's popularity, the DGUVinitiated PZ as a youth media project, put-ting across the message that paralympi-ans are role models and an inspiration tous all.The PZ is a unique project with an excep-tional approach: the articles are writtenby young talents whose authentic, unbia-

sed and enthusiastic coverage is appre-ciated by their readers. The young journa-lists writing for the premier edition wereall young students living in Greece. In2006 an international team reported forthe multilingual issue. The ParalympicsZeitung Beijing 2008 was the first newspa-per to be published without censorship inChina – allowing the team of German andChinese reporters to cover the Gamesand the social change they broughtabout.Since the London 2012 Games, the PZhas also been published as a supplementto major newspapers in the host countryof the Games – in addition to the Germanedition supplemented to Die Zeit, Han-delsblatt, Potsdamer Neueste Nachrich-ten and publisher Tagesspiegel since2008.The print issues are complemented by on-line coverage and social media.The Paralympics Zeitung and its emotio-nal sports journalism impact more thanits readers. Former PZ-journalists are

studying medicine or journalism, they areinvolved in medical technology or withthe National Paralympic Committee ofGermany, DBS. Friendships spanningcountries and continents develop in theinternational teams, keeping the spiritalive long after the paralympic flame isextinguished. Contributing their enri-ching perspective, reporters with a disabi-lity are members of the editorial teams atevery Games as a matter of course. Theinclusiveness of the project on every levelis also very important to the co-publisherDGUV.The project has been internationally re-cognised, for example by the "EuropeanLanguage Label 2006" awarded by theEU-Commission and the honour of beinga lighthouse project of the European Yearof Intercultural Dialogue. In 2010 the Pa-ralympics Zeitung from Vancouver recei-ved the "World Young Reader Prize" inthe category "Making the News" by theWorld Association of Newspapers andNews Publishers WAN/IFRA. In 2015 thePZ received the DBS's honorary award.But the best reward are statements fromour young reporters such as: "The pro-ject was the best experience of my life." ANNETTE KÖGEL, Tagesspiegel

More articles and videos:tagesspiegel.de/paralympicsand dguv.de/pz

Curiosity and flexibility

Another chapter

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Young, inclusiveand international –the ParalympicsZeitung’s project

Written history. Covers of former issues of the Paralymics Zeitung – in Sochi 2014 (centre above) we even had a Russian issue. Photos: PZ

From Vancouver to Rio: Anne Balzer hasworked for the PZ since 2010.

On the spot. Young journalists covering theBeijing 2008 Paralympics.


T he famous Sambodromo in Rio deJaneiro at midday. The sun is bea-ting down on the home of the Bra-zilian carnival parade, the place

is almost unrecognisable. The sounds ofcelebration are gone, what is left is con-centrated silence. The asphalt is coveredby artificial lawn. Targets are neatly ar-ranged in a row at the end of the field.A women wearing a red shirt and a whiteheadscarf with a white cap on top of it isin the middle of the field. She is sitting ina wheelchair and has 'Iran' written on theback of her shirt. She lifts her bow, nocksan arrow, aims at the target and shoots.The arrow hits its mark.The woman’s chubby face shows a tingeof contentment underneath her glasses

as she drives her wheelchair back to thetent. Someone hands her an ice-cream,she has a relaxed chat and laughs. Not-hing indicates that she is in the middle ofa competition - and not just any competi-tion. Zahra Nemati, one of the best para-lympic archers in the world, is competingin the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.18 year-old Nemati was training for theOlympics. She wanted to compete in tae-kwondo. She was quick to win her blackbelt and make the Iranian national team.In 2015, an accident which left her unableto move both her legs , changed hergoals. She decided to participate in ar-

chery, as she told the IPC: “I love thissport and it gives me inspiration."She won a gold medal at the London 2012Paralympic Games and became the firstwoman from the Islamic Republic of Iranto win a gold medal at a Paralympic orOlympic Games. Finally, she still made itto the Olympic Games in in 2016, whereshe was flagbearer for the Iranian delega-tion in Rio’s famous Maracanã stadium.Nemati is the first woman from the Isla-mic Republic of Iran to compete in bothParalympic and Olympic Games. Afterqualifying for the Olympic Games 2016,she decided to tell her story to the world.Her life is subject of a documentary filmcoming up in October 2016. The Interna-tional Paralympic Committee and Japa-nese pay-tv broadcaster WOWOW are pro-ducing a documentary series about Para-lympians worldwide, including Nemati.She is not only a role model for peoplewith a disability, conveying the messagethat everything is possible. She is also asymbol of empowerment for women incountries like Iran. Therefore, she was ap-pointed United Nations Ambassador forher role in empowering women throughsport. According to her, inclusion andsports are closely linked. As she said to aUnited Nation panel, she thinks thatsports do not only encourage athleteswith a disability, but also impact society'sperception of people with a disability:“From one side, it changes people’s per-ceptions and from the other side, itchanges a disabled person’s view to-wards themselves." MIRIAM KAROUT, 21 YEARS and ISABELLA WIMMER, 21 YEARS

Aimingfor change

Alex Zanardi, like many other athleteswho are competing in Rio 2016, didn’tlet the adversities limit his life and be-came a role model in the sportingworld. Now, Zanardi competes at his se-cond Paralympic Games to defend histitle even greater motivation now: torace on the 15th anniversary of his acci-dent.As a teenager, Zanardi saw a friend wor-king on a kart and became interested inthe sport. With the consent of his pa-rents, he began his motor racing careerwith a racing kart that he built himself.The peak of his racing career was in the90s. In 1991, he made his debut in Formula1, where he raced until the 1994 season.Until2001, hekeptswitchingbetween For-mula 1 and the CART series, where he be-came a two-time Champion in 97 and 98.

But on September 15, 2001, Zanardi’s lifechanged. It was the American Memorialrace, held at Euro Speedway Lausitz, inKlettwitz, Germany. On lap 142, when exi-ting the pit lane, Zanardi lost control ofhis car, spun and stopped on his side. Hegot hit by Alex Tagliani, who had a speed

of over 300 kilometers per hour. Zanardiwas sent to the BG Clinic Berlin-Marzahn(UKB), one of the clinics belonging to theHospital Group of the Statutory AccidentInsurance where he underwent surgeryafter losing 75 percent of his blood andhad both legs amputated. It took him sixweeks to get out of the hospital, after asuccessful rehabilitation process. Onlytwo years later, in 2003, he realised thathis auto racing career wasn’t over andwith the help of hand-controled accelera-tors and brakes, he became a driver inthe European Touring Car Championship.In five years, he won four races. And inthe meantime, his interest for hand-cyc-ling developed.With his physical fitness and only fourweeks of training, Zanardi finished fourthin the 2007 New York City Marathon, with

a handcycle. From that point, he began di-viding his time between auto racing andhand-cycling.One of his most memorable moments incycling occured at London 2012. With theroad cycling taking place at the iconic cir-cuit of Brands Hatch, Zanardi won threemedals; two golds and a silver. His victo-ries were voted the most outstanding mo-ments of the games. “Looking back atthese 15 years, I have to say that my acci-dent has become one of the greatest op-portunities of my life,“ said the cyclist inan interview for the YouTube Channel ofthe International Paralympic Committee.Now, Zanardi’s focus is on his competiti-ons in Rio de Janeiro. And he comes try-ing to achieve what he couldn’t do whileracing in kart: winning in Brazil. GUILHERME LONGO, 23 YEARS

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FPZahra Nemati, the first woman representingIran in both Olympics and Paralympics hopesthe Games will influence society’s perception

Alex Zanardi - a role model in the sporting world

Good run.Zahra Nemati of Iran

leads her country'steam into

the stadium (above).Nemati during

competition.

“I LOVE THIS SPORTAND IT GIVES MEINSPIRATION“


Fast. Zanardi heading towards victory inthe time trial cycling finals in London 2012.

Games toremember

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Alyad Norbruism, Dutch goldmedalist in Cycling Track.


"Action at the beach," like stand up paddling was also shown at the Ceremony.The Team of young Ger-

man, British and Brazilianreporters at the Opening

Ceremony in Maracanã.

From the Opening Ceremony into the Games:Our young reporters had some greatexperiences at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.For sure, none of them will forget thosethrilling days in Brazil, where they reportedon great sports in a fantastic atmosphere

India's Mariyappan Thangavelu jumps in the high jump final.

U nforgettable! An exclamation repeated bymany spectators when asked what theythought about the Opening Ceremony of theRio 2016 Paralympics . The show balanced pa-

ralympic spirit, inclusion and hope. More than 70,000people created a magical atmosphere in the Maracanãstadium. Brazilian culture, dance and music wereshowcased by performers with and without a disability.Nonetheless, there was also space for the audience toexpress political protests against Michel Temer, Bra-zil's new president who declared the Paralympic Ga-mes open. The emotional climax was reached whenthe torch bearer and former athlete Márcia Malsarfell, halfway before handing over the paralympic flameto the second-to-last torch bearer. The whole stadiumrose from their seats when she stood back up to finishthe last few steps, supported by ear-piercing roars andclapping."These are God's tears. He is thrilled." That isMárcia Malsar's explanation about the heavy rain du-ring the Ceremony. Her torch relay and the reaction ofthe crowd when she continued her walk was really anunforgettable moment. LEONARDO LEVATTI, 22 YEARS and GUSTAVO ALTMAN, 18 YEARS

Australian Brayden Davidson in front of the records panel after breaking the long jump record.

Having fun - Japanese fans in Rio.

Samuel Asiedu Poku from the social media teamconcentrating on filming the reporters at work.

Yes, it’s real gold. Vanessa Lowcelebrates after winning long jump.


When asked about the German sitting volleyballteam’s chance of qualifying for the Rio 2016 Pa-ralympic Games, attacker Lukas Schiwy answe-red: “Our chances are quite good, but as we areplaying against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the quali-fier, second place would probably be the bestresult.”At the past four Paralympics Bosnia-Herzego-vina won two gold and two silver medals. Duringthe 2014 Volleyball World Cup the Bosniansonly lost a single set. It’s the only sport in whichthe country has won olympic and paralympicmedals.This fact explains why the Bosnian players arecelebrated heroes in their country. But there isanother very important reason. Many of the play-ers were left with a disability after the Bosnianwar ended in 1996. The volleyball team captainSabahudin Delalic (42) lost his left leg in combatfor Bosnia at the age of 19. The sport keeps the

former fighters fit and boosts their self-esteem.Being a soldier, Delalic also understands howimportant the success of the volleyball team isfor national pride. “We owe our people a lot,their support motivates us a lot. In Beijing wewon the silver medal, and they considered it afailure. They are expecting gold and nothingless.”Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s greatest opponentand held responsible for the disappointing re-sult, is first in the world rankings for sitting vol-leyball. Since 1988, when Iran competed at theParalympics for the first time, they have nearlybeen undefeated. Only twice has Iran lost thegold medal to another team: Bosnia-Herzego-vina in 2004 and 2012. In the 2014 World Cup,Iran was defeated in the semifinals, while Bos-nia-Herzegovina won the tournament. JOÃO SOARES, 22 YEARS and MIRIAM KAROUT, 21 YEARS

Our Social Media Teamreports live from Rio.Follow us on:facebook.com/ParalympicsZeitungtwitter.com/parazeitunginstagram.com/ParalympicsZeitungsnapchat.com/add/parazeitung

Ten thousand seats are being filled with joy andinspiration at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.The #FillTheSeats fundraising campaign provi-des Brazilian kids with the opportunity to witnessthe Games at the actual venues. Besides contribu-ting to ticket purchasing, the remainder of the#FillTheSeats donations are going to be directedto initiatives for people with a disability in Brazil.The campaign was created by Greg Nugent, for-mer brand, marketing and culture director atLondon 2012. He originally expected to raise15,000 dollars. This number was exceeded bymore than 300,000 dollars. JORGE SALHANI, 22 YEARS

The flag of the Faroe Islands flies at the Aqua-tics Centre in the Olympic Park in Rio. This me-ans that, in contrast to the Olympic Games, theNordic country is officially represented at theParalympics. At the Olympics Faroese swim-mer Pál Joensen competed for Denmark. At theParalympics swimmer Krista Mørkøre is able torepresent her home country."The Faroes were present when the IPC wasfounded and since then we've been members.The IOC, on the other hand, won't recognise usas a sovereign country, hence our absence," ex-plains Tróndur Ravnsfjall, Chef de Mission. HUGO L'ABBATE, 22 YEARS

In preparation for the Games 15,000 volunteersreceived online training regarding medical in-struction as well as an English languagecourse. All volunteers have to cover their ownexpenses, such as airplane ticket and accommo-dation, but their experience and the legacy arepriceless. “It is so rewarding to give back to thepublic and help the press,” says a volunteer. FERNANDA LAGOEIRO, 22 YEARS

The fashion magazine Vogue Brazil launched acampaign for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Gameswhich resulted in a huge public debate. The ad-vertising piece, created by PR agency Africa, fea-tured photos of the paralympic ambassadorswhich were digitally altered. Cleo Pires andPaulo Vilhena, who are actors and models, areshown without an arm and with a prosthetic legrespectively. They took the lead in a campaignpromoting the biggest sports event for peoplewith a disability - which they are not. Critics ar-

gued that the images are not representative.Vogue Brazil chose to edit Cleo and Paulo withthe bodies of paralympic athletes: table tennisplayer Bruna Alexandre and sitting volleyballplayer Renato Leite, instead of showing the ath-letes themselves. In answer to the criticism,Cleo Pires said that they had just lent theirimages to give the movement visibility.Marinalva de Almeida, a Brazilian paralympicsailor, said: “Brazil does not need Photoshop torepresent our disabilities since we alreadyknow they are everywhere.” She thinks that thecampaign should have featured athletes withtheir beauty and strength, showing that any-thing is possible for people with a disability.On the other hand, the campaign also receivedpraise on social networks and was endorsed bythe Brazilian Paralympic Committee. NATÁLIA BELIZARIO, 20 YEARS

Veterans atvolleyball

MIXED ZONEAlteredambassadors

#FillTheSeats

Nordic pride

Priceless experience

More articles and videos:tagesspiegel.de/paralympicsand dguv.de/pz

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I n the dark, a single man is standingoutside the Maracanã stadium in Rio.His face is painted red, white andblue; a Russian flag protects his body

against the evening cold. He has just leftthe Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Para-lympics - the first Games in his lifetime atwhich he doesn’t have a country to cheerfor.Of course he could have stayed home andwatched the alternative Paralympics thatRussia is celebrating, in defiance of theIPC's ruling to exclude Russian athletes.But perhaps he would have found thethrill of sports to be rather dampened bythe absence of international competition.Just two years ago he would have been inRussia, cheering his home nation to thetop of the medal table at the Sochi WinterGames. But behind the glory was the big-gest systematic doping cover-up in thehistory of paralympic sport. The McLarenReport found the Russian government tohave been actively involved in maskingthe urine test results of over 30 athletesat the Sochi Games, amid a four-yearstate-run doping programme.

The revelation led to the IOC banning allRussian athletics and weightlifting com-petitors from the Rio Games, as well asbanning selected athletes from seven ot-her sports. In contrast, the IPC decided toissue a full ban to the Russian team – ex-tending to the 2018 Winter Games in Pye-ongchang.“The IPC’s decision underlines ourstrong belief that doping has absolutelyno place in paralympic sport, and furtherimproves our ability to ensure fair compe-tition and a level playing field for allpara-athletes around the world,” saidCraig Spence, the IPC’s director of mediaand communications.The World Anti-Doping Agency agreeswith the IPC’s no-tolerance stance.“WADA supports the decision taken bythe IPC, which we believe is in the inte-

rest of clean athletes and the clean sportmovement,” said Maggie Durand, commu-nications co-ordinator at WADA.But not everyone agrees that the fullban was necessary, with President Pu-tin branding it “outside the bounds oflaw, morality and humanity.”And while this is no doubt a devastatingdecision for athletes who were not impli-cated in the doping, the IPC hopes thiswill have a positive impact on sport inthe long term, ensuring the integrityand credibility of paralympic sport inthe future.

Craig Spence added: “We have great sym-pathy for the athletes who will now missthe Games, but we hope the lasting le-gacy of our decision is that the state-spon-sored doping system existing in Russiansport, and extending to Russian paralym-pic sport, stops.“We look forward to the day when we canwelcome back the Russian ParalympicCommittee and Russian athletes to com-pete on the world stage.” LUCY MICHAELOUDIS, 21 YEARS, KERI TRIGG, 21 YEARS, and JONATHAN FRIDMAN, 18 YEARS

Two refugees were the first athletes toenter the Maracanã stadium at theOpening Ceremony of the Paralympics.On possibly the most important day of hislife, Ibrahim Al Hussein wears a whiteshirt, black trousers and red shoes. In hisright hand he carries the paralympic flag,swirling it, surrounded by the intensenoise of thousands of people clappingand screaming at the Opening Ceremonyof the Paralympic Games in Rio.Al Hussein is the first athlete to enter theMaracanã stadium on this day as part ofthe Independent Paralympic AthletesTeam. Next to him walks his teammateShahrad Nasajpour. “This is one of themost beautiful moments of my life. I stillcannot believe that I am in Rio,” the27-year-old Al Hussein said after the Ope-ning Ceremony.Al Hussein was born in Deir ez-Zor, atown in East Syria. His father is a swim-

ming teacher; the house was locatedright next to the Euphrates River. Drea-ming of competing at the Olympic Ga-mes, Al Hussein trained in the river ne-arly every day.This dream was shattered in 2011 whena bomb hit him during the ongoing warin Syria. He lost his right foot andshank. Soon after, he was granted asy-lum in Greece. There, after working 12hours a day, he would practise in thepool. “The pool is like home for me,” hesaid. Now he swims the 50 metre free-style faster than before losing his leg.The other refugee on the team is the Ira-nian Shahrad Nasajpour. He competes indiscus throw and is very close-lipped re-garding his personal story.“I didn’t achieve what I was hoping for,”he said after finishing his first competi-tion at the Paralympics. “But now I know Ineed to work harder, much harder. I ne-

ver thought I could make it to the Para-lympics. It was really huge for me be-cause I didn’t have much training and Iwas focusing on other things: paperworkand getting the U.S. citizenship - it wasnot easy.”Nasajpour and Al Hussein are the onlyathletes not representing their homecountry, but rather millions of peopleworldwide.“It’s not good that you don’t have a coun-try to represent, but I am thankful and Ihope other athletes, refugees like me,will be able to make it as well,” Al Hus-sein said.Having a refugee team in Rio is surelywonderful. But it would be even morewonderful to have no refugee team in To-kyo 2020 – if the war ended and peopledid not have to flee their home. MIRIAM KAROUT, 21 YEARS, and MARC BÄDORF, 21 YEARS

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Independent athletes

The IPC took a stand banning the entireRussian team from the Rio and PyeongchangParalympics for systematic doping

“WE HAVE GREATSYMPATHY FOR THEATHLETES WHO WILLNOW MISS THE GAMES”


Paralympic athlete Ibrahim Al Husseinduring the Opening Ceremony.

An analyst in the anti-doping labora-tory (above). A member of the Byelorus-sian team carries a Russian flag du-ring the Opening Ceremony protestingagainst the Russian ban (below).

I t was 2007, five days since DavidBehre had lost both legs after a trainaccident. He was lying in a Germanhospital bed, depressed and sad, the

morphine barely moderating his pain,when he saw Oscar Pistorius on TV. Aman with two prostheses, muscularthighs and arms, dressed in green andyellow. A man who looked like Behre.A man, who was fast, faster than nearly

every man in the world. Behre told thedoctors that he wanted to do the same.This is one typical example how paralym-pic athletes are even more than role mo-dels for other people. They inspirepeople, they give them the strength tolive their life to the fullest – even if thesituation may be difficult. They show thatalmost nothing is impossible.There are many other examples of para-lympic role models. Stefanie Long, aswimmer who won 12 paralympic goldmedals was inspired by US paralympic

swimmer Erin Popovich. "I rememberbeing a little girl and having heroes likeErin Popovich, who was and still is a para-lympic athlete," she says. Now she triesto be a role model for young kids herself:"Winning gold medals is incredible andobviously it's what I want to do, butthere's something so special about ha-ving a little girl who has just lost her legfrom cancer come up and tell me I'm herhero."Or Heinrich Popow - the German athletetravels around the world to show youngamputees how to handle a prosthesis,how to jump with it, how to sprint with it."The project is everything for me. I canhelp, the people help me," he says.Sometimes paralympic athletes are evenrole models for other great sportsmen.After David Weir, a British paralympian,won gold in London 2012, Usain Bolt twee-ted: "Simply inspiring."David Behre made his dream come true.Today he is one of the fastest men in thewhole wide world. In 2015 he won theWorld Cup in Dubai in the 400 metresprint.After the race he told the reporters:"I don't know if Oscar is happy that I tookaway his record. But I believe that he ishappy seeing me winning the 400 metremedal." MARC BÄDORF, 21 YEARS

Beinginspiring

A photographer with a visual impair-ment shows that everything is possible.João enters the press area of the Aqua-tics Stadium in Olympic Park. A volunteersupports him until he meets two othercolleagues. He sits down and adjusts hiscamera equipment with their support.Now he is ready to work. João Maia (41) isa photographer with a visual impairmentwho covers paralympic sports.Since he was 28 years old, João has hadbilateral uveitis, an intraocular inflamma-tion. It's not possible to precisely definehow much his vision is affected. As hecan recognise colours, Maia has spatialnotion, but the world isn't clearly focusedin his eyes. "I see life as a watercolourpainting. With my shots I'm composingit," he says.Until last year, he used to practise shotput in the category F12, in which athleteswith a visual impairment compete. Aftera surgery to remove three herniateddisks, he decided to cover the competiti-ons instead of taking part in them. In a

course created by Professor JoãoKulcsár, he improved his photographicskills. That was when he realised therewere no limits for what he is able to do."I don't need to have perfect vision to pho-tograph. I just have to feel it. As an ex-ath-lete I know the moves they have to do,just like the facial expressions. If so-meone is crossing the finish line, the fee-

ling of happiness is enormous. I've felt itmyself," he explains.A great motivator for Maia is Vitão Wang(47), a photographer who uses a wheel-chair. The Rio 2016 Games are the thirdParalympics he is covering. Just likeMaia, he participated in sports before dis-covering the world of photography. Hehas been in a wheelchair for 30 years. At

big events he tries to create unconventio-nal views. "In London I stayed away fromthe centre in order to feel the city. I co-vered sports like rugby and fencing,which don't get much attention in Brazil.I'm not worried about medal ceremonies.With my knowledge about the modalities,I capture new angles," states Wang.Having taken part in three Paralympicsas an athlete before starting to report onthem, Vitão has always wanted to experi-ence the Games in his country. Now hefeels ashamed."I haven't even returned to the OlympicStadium because it was a disaster when Iwent there for the test event in May. Thephoto positions aren't prepared forpeople in a wheelchair at all. Besidesthat, it took eight minutes to get on thebus with the lifter. While the driver hel-ped me, the passengers asked him tohurry up. Nevertheless, I'm happy to bedoing what I love," he says. JOÃO SOARES, 22 YEARS and LISA KUNER, 21 YEARS

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Paralympians are not only admired byspectators and other athletes, they are alsoinspired by their own heroes

Inclusion in the mixed zone

BEING TOLD YOU ARESOMEONE’S HEROIS SOMETHINGVERY SPECIAL

Giving up has never been an option. David Behre from Germany atthe 2016 Paralympic Games in the Estádio Olímpico in Rio de Janeiro.

João Maia da Silva isa photographer witha visual impairmentwho coversparalympic sportsafter competing as anathlete himself.


A s they approach the end of theirthirties, many athletes have al-ready bowed out of professionalsports. Only a handful of Olym-

pians at the Rio Games had seen their40th birthday, with most sports having noover-40s competing at all.In the Paralympics, however, all sports ex-cept seven-a-side football have at leastone, with some of the highest numbers inshooting (51 percent), archery (42 per-cent) and equestrian sports (37 percent).Australian shooter Libby Kosmala is theoldest and most experienced paralympianat Rio, competing in her 12th Games atthe age of 74.Kosmala has been a force to be reckonedwith in the sport for over four decades, af-

ter competing internationally in swim-ming and athletics in her younger years.Representing Great Britain, John Cava-nagh is showing no signs of hanging uphis bow just yet. Having competed in ar-chery at every Summer Paralympicssince 2000, the 60-year-old puts his conti-nued success down to the thrill of compe-tition - and who has time to get old whenthere are medals to be won?"It feels like it was only yesterday when Icompeted in my first Games in Sydney,"he says. "Each Games has its own uniqueflavour and they continue to improve inquality. Overall they are just great fun tocompete in."Another athlete still going strong into reti-rement age is Vera Lucia Mazzilli, makingher Paralympics debut at her home na-

tion's Games at the age of 65. The eque-strian star is also Brazil's oldest competi-tor.Eduardo Carmona, a physical educationprofessor and specialist in adaptedsports, says that a lack of opportunitiesfor paralympic athletes in some countriesis one reason why so many don't get intoprofessional sport until much later in lifethan their able-bodied counterparts."Most athletes just get to know sportsthrough associations, and it generally hap-

pens while they are teenagers or adults,"he says. "Besides that, few places workwith adapted sports. Therefore, takingpart in these sports is still a privilege and,because of that, the number of peoplecompeting is lower than in conventionalsports."He also explains why more older athletesopt for sports that are less energetic, say-ing: "It's more difficult to compete insports that require a lot of movement anddynamism. That's why we can see olderpeople competing in sports that requirelow levels of energy - like shooting, forexample."Despite this trend, sailing has the highestproportion of athletes over 40 at the RioParalympics, at 58 percent. Other physi-cally demanding sports like cycling andtriathlon also have a high turnout of oldercompetitors.German cyclist Hans-Peter Durst, 58,says the key is to strike a balance bet-ween meeting the high physical and men-tal demands of his sport. As the reigningworld champion, he has set his sights ona podium finish despite being one of theoldest cyclists."Cycling demands a high level of physicalcondition and power," he explains. "But inaddition there is, especially in tricycling, aneed for technical experience and theright mentality. My dream is, of course, amedal, but the others have also trainedwell - and most of them are younger thanme!" KERI TRIGG, 21 YEARS, and THAÍS CONTARIN, 22 YEARS

In a country known as much for its car-nival spirit as for its love of football theParalympic Games would not be com-plete without a cultural program toround off the sport.Seven months after carnival season thestreets have come alive once again in Riowith a series of events and performancesorganised by the Rio 2016 OrganisingCommittee and Rio's City Hall. There wasthe news of scaling back the ParalympicGames due to lack of funds. But at a timewhen interim president Michel Temerhad suggested merging the Ministry ofCulture with the Ministry of Education,the cultural offerings during the Gamesshow Brazil's diverse heritage would notbe undermined by politics and lack of fi-nance. Indeed, some have seized the Pa-ralympic Games as a prime opportunity

to begin conversations about accessibi-lity and put inclusion firmly on the politi-cal agenda both in Brazil and internatio-nally. The Goethe Institute in Rio laun-ched the first 'International Week of Ac-cessibility and Culture' and kicked off theevent with a screening of the documen-tary ’GOLD - you can do more than youthink', which follows the stories of threeparalympic athletes: Kirsten Bruhn, KurtFearnley and Henry Wanyoike.From Germany, Australia and Kenya re-spectively the film offers a diverse look atathletes' journeys as they prepared forthe London 2012 Games. The week promi-ses a varied programme of discussionsand performances in the Biblioteca Par-que Estaduals and the Biblioteca ParqueManguinhos in Rio's newly developedOlympic Boulevard in the city's port area.

Director of Rio's Goethe Institute RobinMallick has embraced the city's commit-ment to regeneration as part of the le-gacy of the Games. "When discussing thesuccess or failures of the Paralympic Ga-mes in Rio this [the Olympic Boulevard] isthe important thing, there has been a lotof criticism that is justified, but if you lookat that space it is the revitalisation of

Rio." Robin Mallick hopes the 'Internatio-nal Week of Accessibility and Culture'will have a legacy of its own and thatusing visual arts to begin a political de-bate will ensure that the spirit of the para-lympic movement isn't extinguishedalong with the flame at the Closing Cere-mony."Culture is about the overall perceptionwithin a society. The Paralympic Gamesare a huge opportunity, maybe the mostimportant opportunity of the century inBrazil to raise awareness regarding inclu-sion."But more importantly the question ishow to sustain awareness and action af-ter the Paralympic Games. In our jointchallenge to keep the spirit alive, inclusi-veness in combination with diversity isnot always something to proclaim at theopening and closing of the Paralympics,but is something really important."Only time will tell if the impact of the first'International Week of Accessibility andCulture' will last longer than seven days. LUCY MICHAELOUDIS, 21 YEARS

Debutant at 65

Accessibility and cultureon the Boulevard

Does the thrill of win-ning medals keepparalympians young?Brazilian equestrianVera Lucia Mazzilli isjust one of manysuccessful athletesover 40 competing atthe Rio 2016 Games

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THEY ARE JUST GREATFUN TO COMPETE IN

Posing for selfies – in front of one of the fivegiant faces by Brazilian graffiti artistEduardo Kobra on the Olympic Boulevard.

Brazil's Vera LuciaMazzilli smilesat her coaches during a dressageteam test in the Paralympic Gamesin Rio de Janeiro.


L ars Hoffmann’s heart rate increa-sed steadily as he lay in the hand-cycle ergometer. When it rea-ched the peak, Professor Abel

analysed the data and was pleased withthe results: “You can’t compare these en-durance performances to the results inregular cycling. Handcycling is an exer-tion solely of the arms. Therefore, weneed this specific research in paralympicsports in order to adapt professional trai-ning and diagnostics for para-athletes.”In 2015 Hoffmann ranked amongst Eu-rope’s top handcyclists, yet failed to qua-lify for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.The German Sport University Cologne(GSU) is dedicated to all aspects ofsports. Through Abel’s professorship theuniversity gains an additional field of ex-pertise specifically focusing on paralym-pic physiology and performance.Basically, Abel examines the effects ofphysical activity on the human body. Ger-man paralympians, such as the men’swheelchair basketball team, have al-ready benefited from his adapted diagnos-tics techniques for their preparation forthe Paralympics.Not only elite athletes benefit from the pa-ralympic professorship. Future physicaleducation teachers who study at GSU re-ceive hands-on training to teach joint phy-sical education classes for students withand without a disability. “Many PE te-achers in Germany are GSU graduates.

So if inclusive PE lessons are an integralpart of our curriculum, this has a tremen-dous domino effect regarding inclusion inschools,” said Abel. And this reflects oneof the German Social Accident Insu-

rance’s (DGUV) core values to promoteand foster inclusion. “Sports and physicalactivities are an essential part of the reha-bilitation process after accidents,” explai-ned Joachim Breuer, Director General ofthe DGUV.Practising sports not only contributes to

physical fitness for people with a disabi-lity, but it also boosts self-confidence andencourages interpersonal exchange.Abel’s research also contributes to an im-proved rehabilitation process in hospitalsand clinics by adjusting sports therapiesto meet the specific needs of people witha disability.Another step towards inclusion in sportsis the fact that students with a disabilitycan take up studies at the Sport Univer-sity. Together with his colleague AnkeRaabe-Oetker, Abel set up a rating sys-tem for the physical entry test. This is achallenging physical test that averageathletes struggle to pass and more than50% of the applicants fail each year. Theyhave to pass the test in at least 18 of 19different disciplines. Veit Schopper madeit – regardless of his unilateral leg ampu-

tation and a paralysed arm. “Obviously Ican’t do a handstand with only one arm.Instead of passing a gymnastics course, Ihad to write a paper about it. Honestly, Iwould have preferred to take a gymnas-tics examination,” he said. Abel andRaabe-Oetker developed an evaluationand examination system that offers stu-dents and applicants with a disability a le-vel playing field.Professor Abel also supports inclusivesports education at an international le-vel, such as the German-Brazilian PUL-SAR project which educates instructorsin teaching and training people with a dis-ability. “I believe it is my duty to supportsuch initiatives. In this regard, I see theGerman Sport University setting an exam-ple for inclusion in sports education.” MIRIAM KAROUT, 21 YEARS

Kicking off inclusionProfessorshipfor paralympic sportsat German SportUniversity Cologneinitiated by DGUV andGerman NPC

Playing for the German national teamwas a dream Bastian Pusch had givenup on after he lost one of his legs - butthen he discovered amputee football.“I never thought we would last 20 years,”smiles Pusch, remembering the firsttime he met Peter Dorn from the GermanSocial Accident Insurance institution forlocal authorities in the Braunschweig re-gion (BS GUV). Peter Dorn visited BastianPusch, who was 18 at the time, in the hos-pital after he had lost his leg in a car acci-dent on his way to vocational school. Likeall students and employees in Germany,Pusch is automatically insured throughthe German Social Accident Insurance.Right from the start, Peter Dorn explai-ned what support he was entitled to.Pusch’s rehabilitation process began inthe BG Clinic Hamburg (BUK Hamburg),one of the clinics belonging to the Hospi-tal Group of the Statutory Accident Insu-rance. The BUK Hamburg provided every-

thing he needed for a successful rehabili-tation process under one roof. During hisrehabilitation he tried a few team sportssuch as wheelchair basketball and ten-nis. But football had always been Pusch’spassion. “I grew up on the football field,”says the 38-year old. Training five days aweek and games on the weekend werehis life. His football training and physicalfitness also helped him during his rehabi-litation process. He knew how much im-pact muscle training can have and howquickly progress can be achieved. Thismotivated him to keep on working andtraining towards the next positive re-sults. Pusch was quickly able to resumehis vocational training and take on the jobat the bank he was offered afterwards.For the next few years his physical activi-ties were limited to cycling and workoutsat the gym. The only place where he wasable to act out his love for football was asa fan in the stadium of his favourite foot-ball club. But in 2013, 17 years after his

accident, he came across the website ofthe German amputee football associa-tion.The sport is played by people with similarimpairments using crutches which makethem more flexible than when using pro-stheses. He left a comment on the web-site and a couple of weeks later he wasinvited to a training session. From thatday on, he has been strongly involved inhis new passion, he even became one ofthe coordinators of the association. Since2013 he has been part of Germany’s natio-nal team. Wearing your country’s jersey,scoring the crucial goal and having thecrowd cheering for you, what else couldyou ask for? Bastian Pusch fromKönings-lutter is one of the lucky ones. Pusch’svision for the future is to establish a pro-per amputee football division in Ger-many. There is still a long way to go, butuntil then he just feels thankful to beback on the field. ISABELLA WIMMER, 21 YEARS

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“SPORTS AND PHY-SICAL ACTIVITY ARE ANESSENTIAL PART OFREHABILITATION”

Rediscovering his passion

Handbiker Lars Hoffmann during a diagnostic investigation with Professor Abel, German Sport University Cologne.

Football had always been Bastian Pusch’s(r) passion. 17 years after his accident, hecame to amputee football.


Before the first Paralympic Gameswere held in Rome in 1960, sport forpeople with a disability was solely seenas a form of treatment and rehabilita-tion measure, especially for the milli-ons of wounded soldiers after WorldWar II. One of the pioneers who pushedforward rehabilitation sports was Ger-man doctor Sir Ludwig Guttmann. Of Je-wish origin, he had to emigrate to Eng-land. In 1943 the British government as-ked him to establish the National Spinal

Injuries Centre for soldiers in StokeMandeville. Guttmann developed a newphilosophy in rehabilitation, bringing to-gether functional exercises and the funaspect of playing sports. Popular disci-plines were basketball and archery.Little by little, the exercises were adap-ted and former patients performedthem recreationally and as competitivesports. Thus, the idea of the paralympicmovement was born. GUILHERME LONGO, 23 YEARS

W hile many of us will only everbe spectators, tuning in athome or lucky enough to becheering in the stands for

two weeks every four years, the Paralym-pic Games themselves have a morelong-lasting effect. Playing host to the Pa-ralympic Games can literally transformthe landscapes of cities and mould theminds of its dwellers. Physical changes,the building of stadiums, railways and in-

frastructure coupled with changing attitu-des towards a more inclusive societyhave the potential to leave a powerful andenduring legacy on the streets of Rio andbeyond.However, the build-up to the Games hasbeen tumultuous with the president awai-ting an impeachment trial, the outbreakof Zika virus and accusations of misspen-ding all threatening to overshadow thecompetition. With this going on in thebackground, it may difficult to view a posi-tive lasting legacy for Rio and indeed Bra-zil, but this would be short-sighted. TheOlympic Games held earlier in Augustwere successful and allowed sport totake centre stage. The Paralympic Ga-mes have followed suit, proving onceagain that sport has the power to inspirea generation.Sir Philip Craven, IPC President speakingahead of the Games was optimistic: “I be-lieve the performances of the para-athle-tes will act as a catalyst for social

change. The Paralympics have a strongtrack record for changing global attitu-des towards people with an impairment,and are now widely regarded as theworld’s number one sporting event fordriving positive societal change and so-cial inclusion.“The opportunity we have here to makeRio, Brazil, Latin America and the world amore equitable place for all does notcome around very often, so we have tograb it with both hands.”The wheels are already in motion in Rioso what can Cariocas expect in the longrun? The metro system has been exten-ded; metro line 4 will connect the nort-hern and southern areas of Rio withBarra da Tijuca, where most of the spor-ting venues are located. This will help theimmediate running of the Games, redu-cing congestion on the roads by providinga quick alternative for spectators but isalso a long-term improvement for thoseliving and working in Rio de Janeiro.Furthermore, the ‘nomadic architecture’design that has been used for the FutureArena where handball and goalball arehosted means part of the venue will betransformed into four public schools pro-viding education for 2,000 children in Rio.The rest of the stadium along with five ot-her venues will become Brazil’s Olympic

Training Centre, providing top class trai-ning facilities for Brazil’s athletes in thefuture, meaning they can build on theirsuccess in their home Games.Apart from offering facilities toworld-class athletes, Rio’s inhabitantswill have the chance to swim, cycle andsail when the Deodoro Olympic Park istransformed into X–park and the canoeand BMX venues will offer recreational fa-cilities in an area previously underserved.But before the Games are over, specta-tors have the chance to learn new skillsat the Barra Olympic Park where visitorshave the chance to try out goalball andsitting volleyball for themselves. Whet-her you’re differently abled or not, thesesports are accessible to all once youknow the rules! It’s these kinds of eventswhere fans watch their differences fadeaway as they engage in a new sport thathas the potential to pave the way for inte-gration.While it may be too early to measure theexact legacy of the Rio Games, it hasbeen four years since London and a newgeneration of athletes competed in theirfirst Paralympic Games.The Organising Committee for the Lon-don Games wanted to bring the Games ex-perience to young athletes and thus deve-loped the Paralympic Inspiration pro-gramme. Chef de Mission at ParalympicsGB Penny Briscoe explains:“The Paralympic Inspiration Programmeis aimed at providing aspiring paralympi-ans with a taste of the Games environ-ment, everything from village life to see-ing sports competition.

“It aims to demystify the Games and pro-vide familiarisation for athletes so thatwhen they come to compete at their firstGames they have experience which pro-motes confidence and helps them tothrive in the Games environment.”Sophie Carrigill, who took part in the pro-gramme, was so determined to make thewomen’s wheelchair basketball teamthat watching them lose in London onlyencouraged her more.“It was watching the GB women competeagainst Germany and narrowly losingthat really inspired me to want to be partof that team and hopefully help them towin the next time they played that team inthe Paralympics.”Robyn Love is anothermember of the wo-men’s wheelchair basketball team forGreat Britain and London left her a verypersonal legacy.“Without London 2012 I would not havegot involved in wheelchair basketballwhen I did, and I would certainly not berepresenting GB in Rio. The London le-gacy has certainly had a major impact onmy life.”Let’s hope young Brazilian athletes willbe just as inspired by the Rio 2016 legacy! LUCY MICHAELOUDIS, 21 YEARS

Sir Ludwig Guttmann inStoke Mandeville

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History of the Games

A look at legacy:London to Rio

Photo:dpa

Paralympics don’t onlypromise to be an

amazing event but alsobring lasting change.But do they really?

“PERFORMANCES WILLACT AS A CATALYSTFOR SOCIAL CHANGE”

The wheelchair-accessible buses will be used for public transport after the Games.


Kids testing goalball at the Olympic Parkduring the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

While medals are still being awardedin Rio de Janeiro, the organisation ofthe 2018 Paralympic Winter Gamesin Pyeongchang is well underway.Athletes travelling to South Korea willcompete in six sports, including snow-boarding as an individual sport after itsdebut in alpine skiing in 2014. Competi-tions will be held in five venues locatedin the Pyeongchang Mountain Clusterand the Gangneung Coastal Cluster.

Michael Shin, Head of the Integrationand Coordination Team of the Pyeong-chang Organising Committee, is obser-ving the Rio Paralympics closely. Travel-ling through Rio to reach a venue can bevery time consuming, he notes, addingthat the venues in Pyeongchang are nofurther than 30 minutes apart. In con-trast to previous Winter Games, this willallow all athletes to be housed in one vil-lage.

Hosting the Games will help the in-tegration of people with a disability inKorea because, according to Mr. Shin,“Koreans are crazy about sports.” Inthe past there was a clear separationbetween people with and without dis-abilites in Korea, but since winning thebid to host the 2018 Winter Games,“new laws were passed and many faci-lities are becoming more accessible.”This goes hand in handwith the Actuali-sing the Dream Programme, for whichMr. Shin's team is responsible. It pro-motes paralympic sports in Korea, andimproves the recognition of peoplewith a disability. Big campaigns arepromoted by famous Korean actorsand the programme's effects shouldlast long after the 2018 Games.

The organisers are positive that thePyeongchang Games will promote in-ter-Korean reconciliation, cooperationand peace. North Korea, which partici-

pated at its first Paralympics ever inLondon 2012, has yet to compete in Pa-ralympic Winter Games. Mr. Shin ack-nowledges the complexity of the sub-ject, but remains hopeful that this maychange in Pyeongchang.

While the Rio Games were largelyaccessible, Mr. Shin points out severalproblems, such as unstable ramps forwheelchair users. He says a lot of mo-ney was spent on equipment that wasnot useful. The Pyeongchang Gameswould therefore aim to be cost-efficient.In the words of Mr. Shin, “enough mo-ney is better than more money.” MILAN MARCUS, 19 YEARS

KonnichiwaTokyo

A s the Rio games draw to a close,the eyes of the world turn to Ja-pan and the 2020 host city of To-kyo as it prepares to make his-

tory as the first city to host the Paralym-pic Games twice.Preparations are already underway, butthe Tokyo Organising Committee needsto have some tricks up its sleeve if it ho-pes to live up to the legacy of Rio.Three new permanent venues are to beconstructed for the Games, and there areplans to improve transport and accessacross the city, using the Games as a cata-lyst for a host of positive changes thatwill also see a surge in funding and pro-motion of adaptive sport.Bringing a flavour of Tokyo to Brazil, theJapan House in Rio put on an impressiveopen exhibition throughout the Olympicsand Paralympics, introducing the TokyoCommittee's vision for what its Gameswill bring.

"The idea of the Tokyo 2020 Japan Househere in Rio was to show the world what toexpect from Tokyo," said Masatoshi Ishii,representing the Committee at theHouse. "The exhibitions here give a tasteof what Japan's Olympics and Paralym-pics will be like - and they will be great."One of the highlights to look forward to atthe Tokyo Games is the Paralympic debutof two rapidly growing sports - badmin-ton and taekwondo.Badminton, played by wheelchair, stan-ding and short stature athletes, has beencompeted in internationally since the1990s, with the first world champion-ships held in 1998.It is now one of the fastest growingpara-sports, currently played in over 60countries. The most recent world cham-

pionships in 2015 saw 35 of these send atotal of 232 athletes to compete in 22me-dal events."On every level there was an extremelypositive reaction to badminton's inclu-sion in Tokyo 2020," said Andy Hi-nes-Randle, para-badminton and inte-gritymanager at the BadmintonWorld Fe-deration."Players in particular could now see a

complete competition pathway to the Pa-ralympic Games."Similarly, taekwondo has seen its popula-rity snowball since the sport was firstadapted for athletes with a disability."It's been an extremely rapid develop-

ment," says Olof Hansson, para-tae-kwondo manager at the World Tae-kwondo Federation. "We did bid to be onthe programme for 2016, but at that timepara-taekwondo was run a little bit as aside project. After that failed, we took onpeople full time to work with it."That of course led to a lot of reforms inclassification procedures and competi-tion rules and even statutes - everythingwas pretty much gone through and cor-rected for the promotion of para-tae-kwondo."And then the sport was pushed andbrought to the IPC at the precise timethat they were looking for more exciting,more demanding sports for the Paralym-pic Games."Since the announcement that taekwondowill be included at the Tokyo Paralym-pics, the sport has seen a surge in popula-rity that even the WTF didn't expect."Before being introduced to the Paralym-pics, we still had a steadily growing popu-lation of athletes," adds Mr Hansson."It's a very strong development, of coursethe inclusion in the Paralympic Gameshas helped a lot, but this is more than weexpected in terms of development thisyear. I think that the main gain will beseen next year, after the Rio Paralym-pics, when countries start focusing onthe Tokyo 2020 Games." KERI TRIGG, 21 YEARS

AnnyeongPyeong-chang

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The 2020 Paralympic Games in Japanpromise various highlights –like the debut of two rapidly growing sports:badminton and taekwondo

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THE JAPAN HOUSEIN RIO WAS TO SHOWTHE WORLD WHAT TOEXPECT FROM TOKYO


Paralympics countdown event in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan government building in Tokyo.

Para-taekwondo will debut at the Tokyo2020 Paralympic Games.

The Gangneung Hockey Centre will beone of the two venues for ice hockey.

athletes andabilities - tagesspiegel · athletes andabilities in cooperation with speakingup eu...

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