The week of 15-19 April 2013 was highlighted by two workshops jointly organised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (BPC). From Monday to Wednesday, the communication workshop took place, while the commercial one will take place on Thursday and Friday, gathering professionals from both organisations and from Rio 2016™, as well as special guests.

The first workshop, named “Building a Communication Plan for Rio 2016™”, was aimed at promoting much more than just information and knowledge on Paralympic sports. It also served to set the targets and strategies to follow and to discuss opportunities and ideas to promote disabled sports and their values, apart from debating the need for a change in the way the media treats the event.

“That’s the best opportunity ever to influence a change in awareness about Paralympic sports in the American continent”, said Craig Spence, IPC Director of Media and Communications, about South America’s first edition of the Paralympic Games.

The challenges that athletes with disabilities face were another topic of the meeting. For that reason, two of the greatest Brazilian para-athletes took part in the workshop as lecturers.

Jefinho, star of the Football 5-a-side team which won gold in London 2012, talked about his road to become a Paralympic champion (Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

Jefferson Gonçalves, known as Jefinho, a Five-a-side Football (for the visually impaired) striker, gold medallist in Beijing 2008 and London 2012; and Dirceu Pinto, Boccia player in the category BC4 (waist muscular dystrophy), winner of four Paralympic gold medals , two in Beijing and two in London.

“We are capable of hosting high-level sports, and this is the message that we want to get across. Brazil made progress in the support of Paralympic sports, both in terms of structure and investment and in terms of disabled sports visibility as well”, said 23 year-old Jefinho, from the State of Bahia.

“During the next Games, I hope to see Rio de Janeiro as a transformed city. I eagerly await the legacy that will be left in order to reintegrate wheelchair users through sport. I believe Rio will be transformed, not only for wheelchair users but for the elderly, and stroller-pushing mothers, and that we’ll have a much better country”, commented 32 year-old Dirceu Pinto.

The commercial area workshop is aimed at seizing Paralympic sport’s good moment around the world, and mainly in Brazil, in order to promote the Rio 2016™ Paralympic Games. Brazil finished seventh in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, with 21 gold medals, 14 silvers and eight bronzes.

British Paralympic Association (BPA) visits competition sites

Apart from the workshops, on Wednesday and Thursday a seven-people British Paralympic Association delegation paid an official visit to the Games venues. This was the British Paralympic Association’s third visit to Rio de Janeiro, but the first to include National Sports Federations representatives. 

Tim Hollingsworth, BPA CEO, lead the visit. He was accompanied by representatives from four federations. They followed a Rio 2016™ Organising Committee presentation on several topics such as accommodation, transport and security on Wednesday morning and, in the afternoon; they visited competition venues in Barra and the Paralympic Village. On Thursday, the 18th, they visited sports venues in Deodoro and Copacabana.

Great Britain was third in the London 2012 Paralympic Games medal table, only behind China and Russia. The host country won a total of 120 medals: 34 golds, 43 silvers and 43 bronzes.