All year. Because everyone, young and old, whether suffering from a physical or a learning disability, should have the opportunity to take part in a sporting activity as an amateur or in a competitive capacity, the French disability sport federation came into being... To successfully rise to the challenge of promoting sports for people with disabilities, Paris and its region has pulled out all the stops: 120 associations and clubs in 8 départements welcome more than 3,000 members in a wide range of sports such as athletics, football, basketball, swimming, tennis, archery and sailing. Each of the clubs has developed its own specificity in order to offer maximum comfort and security to participants. The success of those brilliant individuals who have made their mark in national and international events is astounding (France brought back 18 gold medals alone from the Athens Paralympics in 2004). Make sure you don’t miss applauding these top-class athletes when they are playing in the French capital. Their courage, their strength and their talent are inspiring. So if you are disabled and would like nothing better than to enjoy your favourite sport, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the federation (01 40 31 45 00) or your nearest club. And if you want to experience the intensity of a competition, check out the programme on www.handisport.org/content/competition/index.php

F.H.R.

photo © D.R.