JAN 2015
TTPC’s Road Trip To Parapan 2015
By Judy Beckles
T
he next two years will be exciting times for
athletes as they make their way to the most
prestigious event in sport the “Olympics” and by extension the “Paralympics” in Rio 2016.
All around the world, athletes are already heavily engaged in their preparations towards the Games, so
that entering as many competitions which will enhance and contribute to their best performance is crucial of their ultimate objective in medalling and hearing the sound of their National Anthems.
So it is no different for the Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Committee (TTPC) in ensuring that their athletes are well prepared and exposed to the best options for competition. The period of December 4 – 10
2014, saw two athletes (one male and one female)
from the TTPC, along with a coach and team manager, off to Mexico to attend the Mexico Open Championship. Both athletes were to participate in Track and
Field events.
The female track athlete had to be classified to verify
her class (T44) as well as eligibility to compete at the
Games. In order for athletes to enter an event, he/she
must be classified to decide their class. The male athlete was already classified (F44).
grouped together for competition. This, to a certain
extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender
and weight.
As a result of the successful outcome of Classifications, both athletes therefore competed at the Games
and were rewarded with two gold medals each. This
was in fact the first competition for the female athletes, who entered the 100 and 200 meter track
events. On both counts Shew emerged winner in her
category, thus achieving gold on both counts.
The male athlete, who has competed previously at
several competitions in the Shot Put and Discus
(field) events, set out to go beyond his personal best
and certainly accomplished that feat by becoming the
World record holder in the Shot Put with a distance
throw of 18.70m as well surpassing the Pan American
record of 60.72m in the Discus event.
It can therefore be said that our (TTPC) objective was
achieved and overall that we had a successful outcome, all part of our preparations for Toronto 2015
and ultimately Rio 2016.
In order to ensure that competition is fair and equal,
all Paralympic sports have a system in place which
ensures that winning is determined by skill, fitness,
power, endurance, tactical ability and mental focus,
the same factors that account for success in sport for
able bodied athletes. This process is called classification and its purpose is to minimise the impact of impairments on the activity (