Picture by Anna Spindelndreier
Particular Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE) and European Aquatics have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) through the Junior Swimming Championships in Samorin, Slovakia, on 4 July, that may considerably broaden alternatives for athletes with mental disabilities to have interaction in swimming and aquatic sports activities all through the area.
European Aquatics, the governing physique for aquatic sports activities throughout Europe together with swimming, diving, excessive diving, creative swimming, open water swimming, and water polo, is famend for its dedication to excellence in sport, athlete improvement, and inclusive entry. With a historical past of fostering high-level competitors and selling aquatic sports activities in any respect ranges, European Aquatics now takes a serious step in the direction of better inclusion by way of this collaboration with Particular Olympics.
Though SOEE and European Aquatics have loved cooperation since 2006, when first MOU has been signed, comparable to joint coaching initiatives, workshops, or athlete demonstration and improvement occasions, this settlement marks a big evolution within the relationship. The MoU establishes a transparent, long-term framework to assist and develop inclusive aquatics programming, sharing of teaching experience, technical sources, and occasion collaboration throughout the area.
The settlement outlines joint efforts to:
- Increase the variety of inclusive aquatics occasions co-hosted throughout the area.
- Leverage European Aquatics’ technical experience to reinforce Particular Olympics coach, officers and referees schooling and coaching packages.
- Develop unified aquatics competitions, the place athletes with and with out mental disabilities compete collectively.
- Promote consciousness campaigns across the energy of inclusion in sport.
David Evangelista, President and Managing Director of Particular Olympics Europe Eurasia, stated: “This second marks an amazing milestone for each Particular Olympics and European Aquatics. Collectively, we are going to unlock new alternatives for athletes with mental disabilities to expertise the bodily, emotional, and social advantages of aquatic sports activities.”
“We’d wish to thank European Aquatics and its President António José Silvia. By way of this partnership, we is not going to solely enhance entry but in addition elevate the visibility and high quality of inclusive aquatics all through Europe and Eurasia.”
António José Silva, President of European Aquatics, added: “We’re proud to face alongside Particular Olympics on this necessary mission. Aquatics is for everybody, and this partnership will be certain that extra people of all talents can expertise the life-changing energy of aquatic sports activities. We sit up for constructing a really inclusive aquatics neighborhood the place all athletes are welcomed, supported, and celebrated.”
