More awareness, inclusion and infrastructure, the early legacy of Santiago 2023

While getting ready to open and shine through the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, Chile and its Para athletes are already harvesting benefits from hosting the biggest Para sport competition in the Americas.

An increased awareness toward people with disabilities, more knowledge about Para sports and its competitors and more infrastructure (for everyday life and sporting purposes) are some of the early legacies that Chilean Para athletes recognize within their society since Santiago was selected as host city back in 2017.

“Chile has progressed a lot in subjects like inclusion. The mentality of the people has been changing little by little in that regard. Also, they have understood that what we do is elite sports. Before, they thought this was rehabilitation or recreational, but no, we are high performance athletes”, said Camila Campos from the Parapan American Village, located in the middle of Santiago, Chile’s capital. She competes in Para powerlifting, in the 50 kgs category.

“People are more informed now. They have changed. Before there was not much respect to people with disabilities, but now there is much more respect and support. People are even kinder”, said Raúl Muñoz, from Para taekwondo, in +80 kgs.

“Accesibility has increased. You can see how municipalities have more ramps, lifts, everything. Society is taking us more into account, it is helping us live our daily life more comfortably (…). And amidst the sporting scene, people are more aware that we are top level athletes, the Games have pushed for people to see us differently like that”, expressed Para swimmer William Mattamala, who competes in S5 class.

All-around effort

Chilean Para athletes have also played their role to contribute to the change. According to official data from the government, 85% of them train, nowadays, at least three days per week, in contrast to 2015, when only 50% trained that amount.

And numbers should even improve more after the Games, based on the important asset that Para athletes got due to the Parapan American Games, which is the Paralympic Centre of the National Stadium Park. It includes facilities for goalball, boccia, Para powerlifting, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, Para table tennis, Para badminton, among others.

Campos,  Muñoz and Mattamala unanimously hope that during the 11 days of competition of the Parapan American Games, venues will be full with the voices and claps of their countrymen and women, in order to upscale even more the awareness of Para sports and people with disabilities, because “there is still a long way to go”.

“We expect to have the support of all the country. Fans were really motivated during the Panamerican Games, we expect to keep that wave going. We promise medals too, we promise to make the country happy”, added Campos.

From the top of the nation

The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, stated on 13 November that: “All of Chile is eager to see them shine (the Para athletes), to maintain the flight of joy of the Pan American Games and intensify and enhance it with the Parapan American Games. The legacy that has just begun will manifest throughout all of Chile with a more inclusive sport and a more inclusive path for all”.

Last Friday, the President even took advantage of the nearing Parapan American Games to announce the Agreement for Inclusion and No Discrimination, which focuses on better access to education for all sectors, including people with disabilities.

In addition, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, Executive Director of Santiago 2023 said: "Since the beginning of the work toward the Games, the development of the Parapan American competition has been a priority. It is very satisfying to corroborate that we managed to penetrate with our message”.

“Around 70% of the population (through a national survey) associate the Santiago 2023 brand with the ideas or values of inclusion and motivation for the new generations”, he added.

Santiago 2023 is the first continental event that fell within the APC-PASO agreement, in which a joint bid must be done for the Pan American and Parapan American Games. It employs the principle of “a host city for both Games” along the lines of the “One Bid, One City” agreement signed between the IOC and IPC in 2000 for the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Opening Ceremony of the Parapan American Games will be on 17 November. The competition will close the curtain on 26 November.

The continental event will have almost 2.000 athletes from 31 countries battling in 17 different sports through 11 days of intense action.