Canadian High Commissioner, David Marshall, presenting a cheque for $3000 Canadian dollars to President of the Paralympic Association, Wesley Worrell.

Minister of Youth, Family and Sports, Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, is encouraging all persons with disabilities, including those with arthritis and diabetics with amputations, to be involved in a sport.

The Minister was at the time addressing participants at the opening ceremony of a wheelchair training clinic/workshop, staged by the Paralympic Association at the PomMarine Hotel, last Saturday. The Minister also lauded the Association’s efforts to ensure that physically challenged persons were involved in a sport. 

Dr. Byer Suckoo said she welcomed the five-day training clinic, which was the second organised for the paralympic athletes. “This type of sport is somewhat new to our shores and the need to gather information, which might translate to the benefit of the athletes and the sport, is imperative,” she said. 

This year’s clinic is being led by Canadian coach, Robert Schrader, and will focus specifically on equipping and educating wheelchair athletes and coaches about the racing wheelchair. This should result, after testing, in individual improvement in wheelchair racing skills. The technical and track sessions will be held at the National Stadium. 

The first workshop was conducted in 2002 and targeted a wide range of sports.
During the ceremony, the Paralympic Association’s President, Wesley Worrell, received CAD $3,000 from Canadian High Commissioner, David Marshall.

The Paralympic Association of Barbados was founded in 1990 to create an avenue for persons who are physically challenged. 

Barbados was first represented in 2000 in Sydney, Australia, by cyclist Daniel
Coulthrust, at the International Paralympic Games, and again in Athens in 2004. 
More recently, the Barbados flag was flown high at the 13th Paralympic Games in Beijing, China by David Taylor, an amputee swimmer. 

lbayley@barbados.gov.bb

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