the essential Nearly 400 young people and adults from Tarn with mental disabilities took part in the Games on Wednesday at the Albi Stadium
adapted sports, organized by the Tarn Committee. Under a sun as radiant as the faces of the participants.
On a small judo tatami, Matthéo and Tom, from the Florentin IME, face Marcel and Philippe, educators from the Lescure martial arts center, and Sabine, from the Arthès Judo club. “And now fight on the ground” Marcel announces to Matthéo. And Philippe, almost without forcing, fell on his back on the first take, to the applause of the IME educators and the friends of a hilarious and quite proud Matthéo.
The fighters remain on the ground. And Tom, in his neon green t-shirt with the “Life is fun” logo, comes to lend his friend a hand. No doubt, these Adapted Sports Games have found their audience.
Changing the outlook of society
On Wednesday, there were nearly 400 children and adults, licensed or not, from IMEs and nursing homes throughout Tarn, supervised by 200 volunteers from the Tarn sports committees and the AMH81 (Multi-sport handicap association 81). They were spread over around ten practical workshops. Athletics, golf, judo, football, precision throws, acrobatic bubble courses… So many opportunities for these young people from Tarn to practice physical activity together.
“It’s a day to change the outlook of society, to share and exchange on a sports field. A real challenge for these games” explains Christophe Ramond, president of the departmental council which granted an exceptional envelope of €5,000 to finance the operation. The city of Albi had made the Stadium and its facilities available. The sports committee volunteers were as focused as they were enthusiastic. In short, smiles on every floor.
Handicap invisible
“The clubs are there, relishes the Albigensian Pascal Herr, disabled sports athlete from Ecla, 4th in the 400 m at the Seoul Olympics, and 7th in 1992 in Barcelona. “The outlook has changed since 1988. Today, we are considered high-level sports.
There remains to be progress in the field of mental disabilities carried by adapted sports practitioners. “A day of invisible disability. They are citizens like any other. They have rights” insists Frédérique Huc, sports instructor at Foyer de Lautrec and president of the departmental adapted sports committee (CDSA).
“A day to show that disability is not just about being in a wheelchair. Adapted sport has its place at the Handisport Games,” insists Olivier Rouquier, federal technical advisor to the CDSA.
Wild football matches
For the moment, only three disciplines exist in competitive adapted sport, tennis, athletics and swimming, within the Paralympic Games, closed to athletes with Down syndrome who must stop at the Worlds.
This did not dampen the commitment of the participants in the frenzied football matches which took place all day long on the Stadium lawn.
“We don’t have the Olympic flame but we can do things,” Christophe Ramond testified on the ground.
2024-06-26 16:42:05
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