2024-09-06 18:00:34
Alan Martínez, professor at the School of Kinesiology at Andrés Bello University; director of the NGO Movimiento Inclusivo and member of the Chilean Society of Adapted Physical Activity (SOCHIAFA), analyzes key aspects of national Paralympic sport on the road to Paris 2024.
The began 17th edition of the Paralympic Games in Parisand Chile did not stay away from this sporting event. With 28 Paralympic selections, Our country has the largest number of national representatives competing in the French capital at the moment. Disciplines such as powerlifting, para-swimming, para-table tennis, para-canoeing, para-athletics and para-judo are some of the sports that will be testing their strength until September 8ththe date on which the Paralympic Games end.
Alan Martínez, kinesiologist and professor at the Andrés Bello University (UNAB), after working for 16 years at the Pedro Aguirre Cerda National Rehabilitation Institute (INRPAC), says in relation to the national panorama in Paralympic sports: “The vision at the state level has changed regarding the investment made in our Paralympic athletes. A vision began to emerge from a legal perspective, In the sense that if people without disabilities can practice high-performance sports, then Paralympic athletes should have the same guarantees. In a certain way the opportunities became professional that people with disabilities had in sports disciplines.”
Con multipurpose gymnasiums initially set up in the National Stadium, The national representatives who are now in Paris were making room to professionalize their disciplines. Getting trained technicians was also a challenge, given that Some of the physical trainers came from non-adapted disciplines for the most part.
“There was preparation and investment on the part of the technicians, as well as training of referees and classifiers who also play a very important role. The Paralympic Committee panel invested in the improvement of this entire virtuous chain of sport with internships abroad, in Brazil,” adds Martínez.
The fact that Chile hosted the Parapan American Games last year allowed the country to make a significant investment in the implementation of Paralympic sports. Despite this, The facilities, which are 100 percent suitable for the athletes, were delivered three months ago, and since then everything has been about preparing to compete in these games. Regarding the infrastructure development, the UNAB kinesiologist mentions: “The athletes are now really prepared, after having had their own infrastructure, being able to have access to the number of hours necessary for their training and for this same reason the classification in number of athletes this year is considerably higher. Good results are expected in Paris, but without a doubt from now on, and with this implementation, things should change.”.
Psychological support
Los Paralympic athletes, Like any other sporting discipline, require constant monitoring and maintaining a good mindset. For that the team ParaChile, travels to Paris with a complete team that includes sports psychologists, trainers, kinesiologists and masseurs, as well as specialized technical equipment for wheelchairs, in case of any mechanical failure, for example.
“For all those who are immersed in sport, The physical aspect is not the only thing because the mind can lose if the physical capacities are not strengthened and worked on in order to perform at their best. In addition to the entire preparation process, there is always the fear of failing at the moment, I think that prior psychological work certainly helps, But also having support right there on competition days makes the difference.“, concludes the UNAB kinesiologist.