From August 28 to September 8 Paris will wear his best galas with the Paralympic Gamesthe most important sporting event, whose relevance goes beyond sports. The Paralympic Games of Paris – for now 95 Spaniards have been classified in 12 sports – are much more than a great sporting event, are the best speaker to focus worldwide attention on Paralympic sport, to show their transformative and inspiring potential. To talk about the reality and challenges of the Spanish Paralympic sport MD and Caixabank organized a colloquium that was attended by Miguel Carballeda, president of the Spanish Paralympic Committee; Alberto Jofre, managing director of the Spanish Paralympic Committee; Iñigo Roy, Director of Communication Strategy and Sponsorships of Caixabank; Jaume Marcé, swimming coach of the Spanish Paralympic Committee at the Car de Sant Cugat; Núria Marqués, Paralympic swimmer and Alejandro Díaz, Paralympic Table Tennis Player.
MD colloquium: on the way to the Paralympic Games in Paris
Sponsorship with the Spanish Paralympic Committee is a fantastic work scope, linked to our values. With the scholarships adop, we make possible the careers of the athletes and give them visibility through their own initiatives
Games are the maximum aspiration of a Paralympic athlete. A sports event that generates great interest and whose relevance transfers the sports, for the stories of overcoming its protagonists. Spain is a power in Paralympic sport. Teresa Perales It can become Paris in the athlete, Olympic and Paralympic, more laureate in the world, and the Spanish Paralympic Committee He hopes to exceed 36 tokyo medals 2020. Now, what is the reality of Spanish Paralympic sport? Do you enjoy sufficient resource athletes? Is the references relief guaranteed?
90% of our budget comes from the private sector. We are the poor committee and it is not fair
The games, the big appointment
Núria Marqués: “We have done a great job this year and in the European I have approached my best brands. I want to go to Paris and, within a healthy competitiveness, win my rivals.”
Miguel Carballeda: “Our goal is to attend in the best conditions to athletes to achieve the goals in Paris. We are lucky to have the support of companies such as CaixaBank. This work is done with the support of the public and the private, and 90% of our budget comes from the private sector and 10% of the public. We work so that the dreams of the athletes can be fulfilled.”
Alberto Jofre: “We try to put the means for athletes to achieve their successes.”
Alejandro Díaz: “For me, being in Paris was almost impossible, I entered the CAR two years ago. With sacrifice and constancy I achieved it, I have reached the dream of every athlete, go to games.”
Seeing that children with and without disabilities look at me, in us, comforts me and makes me happy. Paris? I am very excited to fight to be as soon as possible
Iñigo Roy: “In 2019 we started working with the Spanish Paralympic Committee. For us it is a fantastic work environment, closely linked to our values. Through the adopted scholarships, we make possible the careers of the Paralympic athletes and, in addition, we create their own initiatives so that their stories are known.”
Jaume Marcé: “I want to thank the Paralympic Committee. Before the athlete had almost no aid and sponsorships that are basic have been achieved. Athletes can maintain a performance for many years, before at 18 or 19 they left it, they had to make a living. As a coach I try that athletes are the best.”
Resources
M.C. “We are the poor committee and I would like it to be different, but it attracts a series of travel companions (sponsors) that come because they believe that our sport is different, speaks of overcoming people with disabilities.”
I.R. “We want to do projects, give them visibility, so it is achieved that society knows and wants to follow the Paralympic sport. We bet on the activation of sponsorships and in dissemination.”
Spanish society knows and admires Paralympic athletes. Paralympic sport has grown. 15 years ago there were no athletes in a high performance center
AJ “Society begins to follow and admire Paralympic athletes. CaixaBank's work is very good. They announce the athletes, create heroes and make children be reflected in athletes, want to overcome and see that their disability should not prevent them from being champions. Our athletes have double value because they earn twice, when they exceed their disability and when they succeed.”
N.M. “As you know you more and you go to the podium, more means are facilitated. When Paralympic athletes we announce, we show a reality to children and their parents, who can see that you can, who have a disability but who can train and reach championships.”
J.M. “Before Paralympic sport had a more social or therapeutic aspect. There were no professional structures, the strength of now. Athletes need visibility and when companies know them they see that they are attractive. At the beginning when the Car was coming an athlete with a chair caused surprise, now everyone has name. Our product is attractive, but you can take advantage of it.”
A.D. “Since I started competing with people without disabilities and I had no problems. The limits do not put anyone, you put them on.”
Create referents
N.M. “We work to be better and comforts to help children and their parents change the chip and see that their children can reach the elite sport. It is about normalizing Paralympic sport. Seeing that children with and without disabilities look at us make me happy.”
Going to games is a dream. The limits do not put anyone, you put them
A.D. “I realize that I am a reference for children. If they follow you and stay with what you explain is that you are doing well.”
AJ “The evolution has been spectacular. 15 years ago there were no athletes in a high performance center. Paralympic athletes begin to be social referents. We represent 10% of society, more than 4 million people.”
I.R. “It's about breaking topics such as Paralympic sport does not interest or has no visibility. That an athlete fights for a medal and has a story behind makes it even more attractive.”
Work the base
AJ “We had a larger team, with great athletes, and we had a base problem and we managed to recover the quarry. There is a shocking fact. 7% of the Spanish population has a sports license, in disability it is only 0.33%. There are barriers that prevent that practice.”
Before Paralympic sport did not have professional structures or current strength, but you have to continue working
M.C. “We have two actions in the committee that work. On the one hand, we capture children in the autonomous communities, to future Paralympic promises and we have created promises divisions. Paris will already be very young athletes who have started as promises in some sport and with the thrust of these companies we are doing a job to produce that relief.” N.M. “You have to continue working the base, encourage children to enjoy sport. It is essential and basic.”
J.M. “At the technical level, economic and logistics resources are missing. Also missing facilities.”
A.D. “There are families who cannot afford to take their children to do sports, it depends on the municipalities and mayors who allocate money for children with disabilities and thus come out promises.”
I.R.“And companies must understand what is the end of collaboration and carry out projects that go beyond sponsorship itself. The Paralympic Promise Program is a good example.”
The emotional aspect
N.M. “You have to work at the psychological level to maintain high performance all sports. You have to know how to manage emotions. The head is everything, almost 80%. It all depends a lot on the head and if you feel the recognition or support you always become much more bearable.”
JM “I try that the integral formation of my swimmers be as high as possible. We need athletes to manage the emotions of their day to day, in the CAR we have deportist attention departments. We try to feel wrapped up.”
AJ “The athlete must already be seen as a whole, and there plays a very important role in psychology and mental health. If the athlete is in a period of stress, you have to seek help. When they end their career there is a very important job and we are next to the athletes. Of those who go to Tokyo there are only two left to enter the labor market.”
I.R. “We already thought about the games and one of the issues that interested us is the sustainability of the long -term athlete's career, combining his career with what he decides to do in his professional life.”
M.C. “There are Paralympic athletes who have already finished their sporting stage and are working in companies with a magnificent result. I would recommend to companies that these athletes will be fixed. There they have great human potential. If it were an entrepreneur would hire them, and that is why we form them, because sports life is short.”
