II International Festival of Adaptive Sports “IMPULSE”

II International Festival of Adaptive Sports “IMPULSE”

We are very pleased to announce the start of accepting preliminary applications for the largest event that will bring together more than 1,000 athletes with disabilities and disabilities, as well as over 200 participants in the special military operation (SMO).
The organizer of the festival is the International Inclusive Committee (Russia)

The festival will be held from April 4 to 6, 2025 in Chelyabinsk and promises to be a real celebration of sports and spirit!

-Participation of more than 10 countries:
The festival has become an international event in which athletes from more than 10 countries will take part in 2025, ready to demonstrate their unique abilities and achievements.

-Opening ceremony:
Participants and spectators will enjoy a solemn, bright and cheerful opening ceremony. The program includes a concert of Russian pop stars, greetings from specially invited guests, as well as various prizes and gifts. This will be an unforgettable start to the festival of sports and inclusion.

-The largest mass passing of adaptive GTO standards in Russia.
This unique event is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation and is aimed at popularizing a healthy lifestyle among people with disabilities.

Sports for people with Down syndrome are popular in Italy

Down syndrome, the inclusive power of sport

Sport is an exceptional tool for integration , we often hear it said and we can find clear examples in every local, international, global reality and in every discipline. The ancient Greek Olympics themselves allowed the participation of free men from all polis, and were then also opened to other peoples, such as the Romans and the Phoenicians. Returning to the present day, however, there is an area in which inclusion becomes particularly effective. On December 1, 2019, the Italian national basketball team for athletes with Down syndrome won the world championships in Portugal for the second consecutive year. These “special” championships , more correctly defined as “games”, are competitions with rules and conditions completely similar to those held for people without disabilities.

Sport is an exceptional tool for integration , we often hear it said and we can find clear examples in every local, international, global reality and in every discipline. The ancient Greek Olympics themselves allowed the participation of free men from all polis, and were then also opened to other peoples, such as the Romans and the Phoenicians. Returning to the present day, however, there is an area in which inclusion becomes particularly effective. On December 1, 2019, the Italian national basketball team for athletes with Down syndrome won the world championships in Portugal for the second consecutive year. These “special” championships , more correctly defined as “games”, are competitions with rules and conditions completely similar to those held for people without disabilities.

Italian national basketball team for athletes with Down syndrome wins the gold medal in Portugal (December 2019)

As regards the Special Olympics , the fundamental criterion for being selected concerns the degree of autonomy of the athletes , explains Martina Crivellaro who is the president of the Sport21 association , because “the best ones don’t necessarily leave, from a performance point of view sport, but the autonomy of the boy is also evaluated, because he has to be alone in retreat with the team, without his parents”. Martina Crivellaro knows this well, as last March she supported her son, Giacomo Bacelle , during the Special Olympics gymnastics, from the stands. Giacomo won the gold medal, and for him it was an immense emotion that made him feel like his favorite sports figure, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Veronica Paccagnella and Giacomo Bacelle, gold medals at the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi (March 2019)

Autonomy is therefore a fundamental requirement, inside and outside of competition, but for girls and boys with Down syndrome it is something to be gained step by step, with the help of professionals, such as the educators and psychologists of the of Padua. 

Interview with Martina Crivellaro and Giacomo Drago on the inclusive power of sport. Filming and editing by Elisa Speronello

With the kids of the association, says Giacomo Drago , a mountaineering project that includes excursions in the mountains, Montagnamo , has been active for six years . The mountain environment is educational in itself, because it also allows you to develop respect for the environment and for others. Projects of this type focus on collaboration, doing it together, sharing and supporting each other.

Nine climbers with Down syndrome on the slopes of Etna (Montagnamo project, September 2019)

Last summer Giacomo accompanied nine boys to the mouths of Etna in Sicily, completing a route that was not easy even for trained mountaineers. A testimony of tenacity, resistance, passion, collaboration and spirit of adventure and of all the skills acquired over years of independence .

IIC President Alexander Smirnov spoke in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, at the “Breaking Barriers”

IIC President Alexander Smirnov spoke in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, at the “Breaking Barriers” forum, as part of the round table “ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SPORTS AND HEALTH: INTEGRATION OF SCIENCE AND PRACTICE”, the President of the “International Inclusive Committee” of the “International Adaptive Federation” made a report tive Taekwondo “and the Adaptive Taekwondo Federation of Russia” Alexander Smirnov. Alexander Smirnov spoke about the problems of adaptive sports in Russia and the world, about the measures to support adaptive sports that the “International Inclusive Committee” provides for adaptive disputes around the world.

Bulgarian competitors won 5 medals at the tournament for people with Down syndrome

Bulgarian competitors had a very successful performance at the biggest competition – the America Tri Games tournament for people with Down syndrome, which was held in Argentina. Bulgaria was represented at the tournament by one gymnast and four athletes.

Aleksandar Asenov won gold in the long jump, and Radena Angelova won the gold medal in the long jump and silver in the 100 m race, reports the Bulgarian Federation for Adapted Physical Activity.

Emilian Kostadinov became second in sports gymnastics, and the men’s 4×100 relay team won a bronze medal.

In Italy, Giacomo Drago, with the children of the Down Association, has been working on a mountaineering project for six years

In Italy, Giacomo Drago, with the children of the Down Association, has been working on a mountaineering project for six years, including excursions to the Montagnamo mountains. The mountain environment is educational in itself because it also allows for the development of respect for the environment and for others. This type of project is focused on collaboration, sharing tasks, sharing information, and supporting each other.

Nine climbers with Down syndrome on the slopes of Etna (Montagnamo project, September 2019)

Last summer, Giacomo accompanied nine boys to the mouth of Mount Etna in Sicily, completing a route that was challenging even for trained climbers. A testament to tenacity, resilience, passion, cooperation and the spirit of adventure, as well as all the skills acquired during the years of independence.

.

Translate »