Lima 2019: 90,000 apply to volunteer

More than 90,000 people have applied to become volunteers at this year’s Pan American and Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru.

More than 53,000 of those have already completed the registration process and close to 16,000 have started attending training sessions in the hope of being selected among the 19,000 volunteers at both Games.

The volunteers will provide support to 14 areas, including accreditation, information technology, marketing, media operations, medical services, protocol, sports and transport.

A total of 7,000 people will volunteer at the Parapan American Games from 23 August-1 September. Most of the applicants are between 18 and 24 years old, while hundreds of them have some type of disability.

An accessible legacy

Lima 2019 Operations Manager Alberto Valenzuela has spoken about the infrastructural legacy of the Parapans.

“The most important thing is the legacy with a series of accessible constructions. One of the most important ones is the Pan American and Parapan American Village, which is the first accessible building in Peru with over 300 accessible apartments, wide corridors and wheelchair-friendly elevators,” he said.

“Nothing like this had ever been built. It is a great improvement. We are looking forward to receiving all delegations and provide them with the comfort ahead of their participation at Lima 2019.”

The Village will house around 2,955 people for the Parapan American Games, including athletes and officials, and will become the biggest accessible housing complex in Peru.

It will be an important legacy for those living in the district of Villa El Salvador and the country.