by Vincenzo Ammirati
The agreement between the Hospital – University of Ferrara and the Cip, the Italian Paralympic Committee, was recently renewed for the four-year period 2021-2024. The project to start sports for people with disabilities within the Sant’Anna Rehabilitation, already during the hospitalization phase, began in 2012.
The program is promoted by rehabilitators – in particular by Professor Nino Basaglia, of the Provincial Paralympic Committee, led by Giuseppe Alberti – and activated thanks to the agreement stipulated by the Company with the CIP through the Emilia Romagna Regional Committee, of which the professor is currently president. Melissa Milani.
On the occasion of the announcement of the renewal of the partnership, in addition to doctors Basaglia and Alberti, the following were also present in the gyms of the San Giorgio Rehabilitation in Cona: Mauro Borghi (director of the Casp), doctor Susanna Lavezzi (Centro Rehabilitation Sant’Anna), doctor Alessandra Botti (project manager) and Maria Gamberini (Administrative Sub Commissioner).
From the first days of last April, sporting activities have resumed regularly, thanks also to the contribution of the Casp centers (Training Centers for Paralympic Sports) which for many years have been offering their facilities to people with disabilities, who, within them , they can experiment with different sports disciplines with the help of suitably trained expert personnel.
Sports activity plays an important role within the individual patient’s care path, to such an extent that many of them, once their rehabilitation process is over, continue with the Paralympic competitive activity.
To support this thesis is the project manager Alessandra Borghi who explains how “we have registered a high level of satisfaction from patients and family members, highly motivated and gratified also by the protected context and the high professionalism of the CIP technicians. We believe that the project to initiate Paralympic sports is a good example of taking charge of the person as a whole, for the full realization of the recovery process, the growth of participation and the achievement of maximum satisfaction and adaptation of the person even in residual disability condition “.
The former head of the Sant’Anna Rehabilitation Nino Basaglia was keen to reiterate that sporting activity in a disabled person does not only bring physical benefits. Sport becomes a moment of sharing, of integration into society which are values that unfortunately do not always emerge in similar contexts.
Over the years, the project has offered various sports disciplines to patients who could choose sports such as swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing, pararowing, archery, paracanoeing and wheelchair dancing. All these activities are taught by federal technicians adequately trained to work with people with disabilities and with the use of specific dedicated equipment.
At the end of the meeting there were small demonstrations by patients in rehabilitation who performed in archery and kayaking, performances that will be visible to the public on Saturday 30 April in Piazza Ariostea.
