Four athlete-users of the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), a Social Organization located in Macaíba and linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC), were awarded incentives from the Bolsa Atleta Program, a Federal Government initiative that sponsors high-performance athletes and para-athletes in national and international competitions.
Alysson Silva, Francisco Silva, Oneill Andrews and Pablo Gustavo were the athletes who received the scholarship, the first three in the “School Athlete” category and Pablo in the “National Athlete” category. The federal program grants funding to outstanding athletes in their respective sports, with a high level of participation and recognition in the sports and parasports scene.
In addition to being users of ISD's care lines, Alysson, Francisco, Oneill and Pablo became part of the ISD/Macaíba Paralympic Reference Center, opened in 2023 with the support and partnership of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) and the City of Macaíba. The Center promotes Paralympic sports from initiation to high performance, with the main objective of promoting rehabilitation and social participation through sport.
For Pablo Gustavo, who, in addition to being an athlete-user, is also part of the ISD staff, the incentive granted by the scholarship is of utmost importance for investment in areas ranging from covering basic expenses to strategic planning and training routines.
“With the lack of sponsorship, the grant is a foundation to cover what is currently a struggle, such as maintenance of the sports wheelchair and equipment, and even planning for the most important competitions. Without support, it is almost impossible to think about traveling, registering for events or buying essential accessories. With a minimum structure guaranteed, my body and mind can perform to the best of their ability,” says Pablo.
Fabíola Campos, physiotherapist preceptor and supervisor at the ISD Paralympic Reference Center, explains that the Center's work is initially rehabilitation based on the development and inclusion of people with disabilities in the spaces they want to occupy. From there, the multidisciplinary team of the service gradually begins to encourage the search for opportunities and professional growth in sports.
“We still have a long way to go in terms of encouraging public policies and financing for people who practice parasports, but it is already a reality that we have paraathletes who can make sport their main source of income. Reference Centers are distributed throughout Brazil, operating with the main goal of including people with disabilities in this dynamic of inclusion and personal and professional development,” explains the physiotherapist.
An example of this flow is Alysson, who joined the ISD as a user of the Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury care line at the Institute's Specialized Rehabilitation Center (CER). The young man believes that there are growing opportunities for future athletes or athletes who are already practicing and reinforces the importance of financial incentives.
“The impact of incentives and investments is to enable athletes to achieve their goals. If athletes think they can’t complete certain events or obstacles, they will never get to where they want or dream of,” says Alysson.
parasport
In addition to parasports activities for users of the Institute's CER care lines, the ISD promotes courses, training activities and events on the subject, involving physical educators, professionals from other health areas, CER users and their families.
At the Paralympic Reference Center, bocce and para-athletics are offered to adults and children over 7 years old, free of charge. Training ranges from beginners to high-performance athletes. Appointments and screenings can be made by calling (84) 4042-0033; (84) 4042-0044, or via WhatsApp: (84) 9-9155-3027 (messages only), from Monday to Thursday, from 8 am to 5 pm; and on Fridays, from 8 am to 12 pm.
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.
