"Disabled Athlete Exchange Caravan" Paralympians and elementary school students face off in a swimming relay

The Japan Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities (JPSA) is hosting the "Japan Para Support Project: Athlete Exchange Caravan" to let children experience the appeal of sports for persons with disabilities and promote barrier-free hearts.

This caravan is conducted at elementary schools in the local communities where various Japan Para Games events will be held, preceding the competitions. This time, athletes competing in the "IPC (International Paralympic Committee) Official 2015 Japan Para Swimming Championships," held at the Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center in Koto Ward on September 5-6, visited elementary schools to interact with the children.

＊Japan Para
Japan Para Games: The highest-level domestic competitions hosted by the Japan Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities and the Japan Paralympic Committee, co-organized with various sports federations. Events include wheelchair rugby, goalball, swimming, athletics, cross-country, and alpine skiing.

On September 2, two top athletes visited Koto Ward Toyosu Nishi Elementary School: Keiichi Kimura, who won silver and bronze medals at the London Paralympics and gold at the "Glasgow 2015 World Aquatics Championships" this past July, and Takuro Yamada, who won silver in Glasgow.

The two athletes spoke to approximately 280 students about what inspired them to start competing and their feelings about swimming and the Paralympics. When footage of the races where both athletes won medals was shown, cheers erupted from the students. Athlete Kimura (totally blind) said, "Many people have supported me up until now. I hope you'll get involved in the 2020 Tokyo Games, perhaps as volunteers." Yamada (left forearm amputation) added, "I can jump rope and do pull-ups. You won't know unless you try, so take on challenges actively." The children deepened their interaction by asking the athletes swimming tips and getting to touch their medals.

At the school's indoor pool, athletes and fifth and sixth graders participated in a hands-on experience program. When the athletes demonstrated model swimming techniques that overcame their disabilities, gasps of surprise arose at the smoothness.

The children tried swimming with goggles that block vision to experience blindness and also tried tapping to signal to visually impaired athletes. Finally, they enjoyed a relay race between the children and the athletes.

Both athletes addressed the crowd, saying, "Please come watch and cheer at the Japan Para Games this weekend."

A similar event was held at Tatsuami Elementary School in the same ward on August 25.

Japan Para Games Official Website: http://japanpara.com/