Three athlete-users of the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) parasports care line have secured a place in the 2024 Paralympic School Games. Alysson Souza, Francisco da Silva and João Gabriel Sulpino will compete in athletics events during the tournament, organized by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee ( CPB).
The athletes achieved the classification after participating in the Christmas stage of the Paralympic Meeting, held in April. At the time, they obtained marks below the cutoff established by the CPB. ISD representatives will be part of the Rio Grande do Norte delegation in the national competition.
The School Paralympics are scheduled to take place between the 24th and 29th of November, at the Brazilian Paralympic Training Center, in São Paulo/SP. The tournament is considered the largest global event for school-age children with disabilities. For young para-athletes Alysson Souza and Francisco da Silva this will be their first competition outside of Rio Grande do Norte. “I’m excited and anxious”, summarizes Alysson.
“We are happy with this news. Of course, it generates a certain fear because he travels alone to São Paulo, but we are supporting and encouraging him to participate in the Games”, said Ceiça Silva, Francisco’s mother.
Competing in the competition for the second time as an ISD user, para-athlete João Gabriel seeks to improve the marks achieved last year. In 2023, he took third place in the 60m athletics, class T54.
“In addition to the medals, the competition is important to expand the social participation of children and adolescents with disabilities. The CPB Training Center is a fully adapted space, which offers the best conditions for para-athletes to compete in their sports. We encourage participation and we want to increase, year after year, the number of ISD users at the Paralympics”, highlighted physiotherapist preceptor Fabíola Campos, who was part of the Potiguar delegation at the Paralympic School Games in 2023.
The trip to São Paulo will be free of charge for the athletes and their families. Plane tickets will be paid for by the Government of Rio Grande do Norte. The stay and travel in the capital of São Paulo are paid by CPB.
The 2024 School Paralympics aim to encourage the participation of students with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities in sporting activities in all schools across the country, promoting broad mobilization around sport. Furthermore, the event seeks to spread the ideals of the Paralympic movement, such as combating all types of prejudice.
parasport
ISD promotes parasports activities for users of the care lines of the Institute's Specialized Rehabilitation Center (CER ISD) in weekly meetings, held in partnership with Macaíba City Hall. Through multidisciplinary action, health education courses, events, training and actions are carried out on the topic, involving physical educators, professionals from other health areas, CER ISD users and their families.
Paralympic Reference Center
The ISD/Macaíba Paralympic Reference Center is accredited by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB). Currently, bocce and para-athletics are offered free of charge to adults and children aged 7 and over. Training ranges from sports initiation to high performance.
After making an appointment, interested people undergo a remote screening followed by a global assessment, when the eligibility criteria for the modalities offered at the Institute are verified. Scheduling can be done by calling (84) 4042-0033; (84) 4042-0044, or via WhatsApp: (84) 9-9155-3027, from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Health Education and Research, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
