Testimonials
As the President of the Hellenic Paralympic Committee, witnessing the Par-OLYMPIA Event was a momentous occasion. It was not just another event in our calendar; it was a transformative experience for every participant involved. The Par-OLYMPIA Event transcended the realms of sport; it became a platform where dreams converged, barriers dissolved, and the true essence of human determination unfolded. For every participant, this event was more than a competition; it was an odyssey of personal victories and collective triumphs. The camaraderie, the passion, and the sheer dedication on display were awe-inspiring. Par-OLYMPIA became a defining chapter in the lives of these athletes, an experience that will be etched in their memories, driving them forward long after the cheers have faded. It was an event they'll cherish, an event that will resonate within them for the rest of their lives.
Georgios Kapellakis
President of Hellenic Paralympic Committee
It was the best week of my life!
Gary Byrne
Participant from Ireland
About Par-OLYMPIA
Par-Olympia is a recreational and informative Sport Event to realize a diverse and inclusive society through Sports. During the Par-Olympia Event youths with and without disabilities from all over Europe will have the opportunity to come together with peers from Europe and enjoy, learn, and connect under the Olympic & Paralympic Spirit in Athens, develop and practice physical, behavioural and mental skills by challenging themselves and each other in physical activities, movement, games and sport and learn to live in a multicultural world, accepting and respecting diversity and practice peaceful personal behaviour.
The event will host approx. 250 participants (100 Youths with Disabilities) from 12 European countries. Parallel to that agents (coaches, volunteers & facilitators) will have the opportunity through seminars and satellite activities to improve their skills toward inclusion. Inclusion in and through sport by providing every person full respect, dignity, value and belonging in any roles they may play – athlete, coach, official, administrator, or spectator. The duration will be 7 days and it is proposed to be implemented in September – October 2023.
The general objective of Par-Olympia Sport Event is to educate, engage and inspire young people with disabilities to participate in sports, learn new life skills and adopt the Olympic & Paralympic Values with the aim of facilitating their social inclusion, through sport, in a post-Covid era. To highlight the above objectives, the sport venues of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic & Paralympic Games have been selected for the organization of the Par-Olympia sport event, aiming at a direct link with the Olympic spirit.
KEY ACTIVITIES
CITY
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PARTICIPANTS
COUNTRIES
Methodology
The implementation of the sport event brings together existing knowledge about integrating people with disabilities into sports & facilitates the engagement of organisations trying to encourage young people with disabilities to get active participants in society overall using sport as a tool of empowerment.
The sporting event includes both sports and training workshops aiming to educate the participants on sport values.
The event has three (3) axis actions:
Objectives
The General Objective of Par-Olympia Sport Event is to educate, engage and inspire young people with disabilities to participate in sports, learn new life skills and adopt the Olympic Values with the aim of facilitating their social inclusion (Social inclusion through sport) in a post-Covid era.
Special Objectives
- Promotion of sports and physical activity as a tool for physical and mental health
- Increase potential for host communities to successfully engage with & integrate RD through sports
- Improve skills of agents (coaches, volunteers & facilitators)
- Promotion of Volunteerism in sport.
- Fight against discrimination in sport and ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities to the sport event activities.
- Creation of structured links between different stakeholders
- Extract conclusions and lessons learnt from project activities and outcomes, foster their transfer and uptake by different relevant stakeholders in different regional contexts, including those in less developed regions; thus, working towards sustainable impact.
Hellenic Paralympic Committee
Par-OLYMPIA Event is organized by Hellenic Paralympic Committee (HPC), the authority responsible for the development and promotion of the Paralympic Movement in Greece. HPC offers incentives to people with a disability and encourages especially young people to get actively involved in sports and athletic activities.
The HPC offers opportunities for people with a disability to reach their maximum athletic potential and achieve excellence in sport inspiring through their achievements. Supporting a wide range of activities from recreational sport to high performance athleticism for people with a disability, the HPC strives to encourage and support people with a disability to participate in sports and take the joy of sport. Through this process it supports the socialization and the equal integration of persons with a disability into Greek society.
GET INVOLVED
How to register
Anyone who would like to participate in Par-OLYMPIA Event should be registered.
Find the local contact point with Par-OLYMPIA partners in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain
Participating Organisations
Par-Olympia Sport Event aims to support youths with disabilities (including women and girls and migrant groups) to participate in sport and physical activities. The event has a wide European dimension (14 organisations from 12 European countries) & focuses mainly on the field of social inclusion through sports.
REACH US Contact Us
www.parolympia.com
www.parolympia.com
Hellenic Paralympic Committee
OAKA Olympic Aquatic Center
Spyrou Loui Avenue
15123 Maroussi.
Athens. Greece
Phone: +30 2106800873 /+30 2106800562
Email: [email protected]