Inspired by IWAS World Games

Athletes from around the world come to VRSA

At the end of November, we noticed a lot of athletes gathering near the Sports Complex. Some were in wheelchairs. We stopped by to inquire.

An American competing in the long jump.

IWAS World Games

IWAS is the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Foundation. Its roots lie in the precursor to the Paralympic games the International Stoke Mandeville Games:

IWAS was formed in 2005 following a merger of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF) (which was formerly known as the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF)) and the International Sports Federation of the Disabled (ISOD). ISOD had been founded by the International War Veterans Association in 1964 — Wikipedia

Next year, IWAS will merge with the Cerebral Palsy Internation Sports and Recreation Association. These organizations come together to form a “training system” for aspiring Paralympians.

Unfortunately, the pandemic caused the games to be canceled for several years. So with much excitement and enthusiasm, nearly 500 current and aspiring Paralympians arrived at VRSA to compete in athletics (track and field events), swimming and powerlifting.

Opening ceremonies.

Friday Night

The athletes began arriving on Wednesday but it was not until Friday morning that Denise and I stopped by the sports complex to inquire. We learned that that night would host the Opening Ceremonies, so at 18:00 we were off. The ceremony was in many ways what one would expect. Teams streamed into the arena carrying the flags of their countries. Some teams like the US, India, and Portugal had large teams (50 or more athletes). Other countries, like Luxembourg, had just one athlete and one trainer.

The 35 teams gathered at one end of the stadium and there were speeches. We learned that “Unity, Friendship and Sportsmanship” was the motto for the games. There were very few spectators in the stands with us. It is unfortunate that VRSA did not do a better job of promoting this event. I hope I don’t come across as patronizing when I write that both Denise and I had to wipe tears from our cheeks as these athletes streamed by. As we age and complain about new-found aches and pains, we realized we have absolutely nothing to complain about.

10,000 meters … 12.5 laps around the track.

Competition

We returned to the stadium several times over the next several days. I really wanted to watch the powerlifting competition, but unfortunately seemed to always miss the actual lifting. On Monday, we did get to see several of the athletic events. The athlete above, in black, went it alone and actually lapped the other two athletes. The other two played a game of cat and mouse, drafting off of one another. We talked for a bit with a trainer from the USA who was not very happy that her athlete was allowing the other to draft so much.

We also spoke to a trainer for the Czechoslovakian team. We learned that there are some countries like the UAE and Algeria that have well-funded, state-sponsored programs for these athletes. The Czechoslovakian coach, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago and who lived in the US for a bit, summed it up like this:

Unfortuately, it all comes down to politics. Some countries have invested in these aspiring athletes. They support a common training area and the athletes form a strong bond…a team. Other countries depend on Fortune 500 companies to fund their programs, and typically this does not happen until the Paralympics. So these atheletes often go it alone, only occassionally working with a coach.

Where we typically play pickleball.

The area we typically utilize for pickleball was used to check the equipment used by the athletes. The chairs you see above were used for field events such as discus, shotput, and javelin. We watched as one athlete was strapped to the chair, and the chair was then affixed to the ground at four points. She then heaved a javelin 30 meters using only her upper body. She was clearly the best in the field, and a lot of coaches gathered and gasped as she threw a discus that took several seconds to come down to earth.

We watched as medals were awarded and national anthems were played.

Frankly, there were very few spectators at these games. Nearly all were the families of the athletes, coaches, or the athletes themselves. We were thanked by an American coach for coming out to watch. But we were grateful to have this opportunity in our little town.

A few of these athletes will make it to the “big stage”, the Paralympic level. Most will not. But they will train…they will compete…they will inspire. The 2023 IWAS World games will be held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. If you are in the area, I encourage you to attend.