The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) hosted, this Tuesday (17), the launch ceremony of the WINNING through Sport Program, an initiative of the Ministry of Sport (MEsp) in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MEC), the Ministry of Health (MS) and the Institute.
The event took place at the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), and was attended by authorities and representatives from the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the municipality of Macaíba, Ministries, and Specialized Rehabilitation Centers (CERs) involved in the project.
The "Winning Through Sport" initiative consists of an integrated strategy for training and technical support to qualify Physical Education professionals working in Rehabilitation Centers (CERs) throughout the country. The goal is to incorporate Paralympic sport as a complementary tool for rehabilitation and social inclusion within the Unified Health System (SUS).
Developed by the National Paralympic Sports Secretariat of the Ministry of Sports, in cooperation with the Ministries of Health and Education, the program includes the diagnosis of structures, action planning, and in-person training conducted by regional tutors with the support of ISD, the institution executing the project.
In its first phase, the program plans to train professionals in 11 CERs (Specialized Rehabilitation Centers) across Brazil. According to Fabíola Campos, a multidisciplinary physiotherapist and preceptor at ISD (Institute for Sports Development), who is responsible for coordinating the project, the initial expectation is to develop an action plan to be implemented by tutors – Physical Education professionals who will be trained by the course – who will be responsible for leading teams and transferring knowledge, facilitating the implementation of Paralympic sports in rehabilitation.
“Today we begin to take a step towards transforming many lives through sport. The program starts in May, training 11 CERs (Centers for Specialized Rehabilitation), selected from various states and regions, who will participate in the program in 2026 to guarantee inclusion and the right to Paralympic sport for everyone,” says the professional.
According to the National Secretary of Paralympic Sports of the Ministry of Sports, Fabio Araujo, the inauguration of the project represents the launch of a new model of action that aims to unite health, education and sport in a program designed for wide dissemination throughout the national territory.
“Today, we are launching a model that we intend to become commonplace throughout Brazil. The ISD and the Ministries of Sport, Education, and Health are working together so that we can ensure that the rehabilitation process within the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System) reaches all Brazilians who need it,” says Fábio.
Also participating in the ceremony were the manager of the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (Anita), Lilian Lira Lisboa, representing the ISD board; the Undersecretary of Sport and Leisure of Rio Grande do Norte, Julio Cezar Nunes Júnior, representing the Government of RN; the Secretary of Sports of the municipality of Macaíba, Sócrates Macedo; the general director of the CER of Olho D'água, in São Luís do Maranhão, Yalem Pires; and, representing the users of the ISD's Paradesport care line, the Paralympic athlete Maria Vitória Lima.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization of the Federal Executive Branch, supervised by the Ministry of Education, with the intervention of the Ministry of Sport. It encompasses the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health, both located in Macaíba. The ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research, and outreach activities, as well as contributing to a more just and humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
