The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced today that RaceRunning is to be introduced as a World Para Athletics event. This is fabulous and very exciting news. Over the coming weeks CPISRA will provide further information but for now we wanted to let you know that great news. So many people over the years have contributed to RaceRunning being provided this opportunity and we hugely thank them all.

Below is copy of the announcement by Ryan Montogomery, IPC Summer Sports Director and also below is a link to the RaceRunning Position Paper jointly released by World Para Athletics and CPISRA.

"Dear NPC President, Secretary General & National Athletics Federations,

As part of the IPC and World Para Athletics commitment to developing para athletics opportunities for athletes with high support needs we are pleased to inform you of the latest developments with regards to the integration of RaceRunning into World Para Athletics.

World Para Athletics and CPISRA have been in discussions for some time about increasing the participation of athletes with High Support Needs in World Para Athletics track events. The basis of this discussion was to allow for the recognition of RaceRunning within the para athletics programme to occupy the current T31 and T32 classes, classes which over the course of the last years have had no representation or participation in para athletics.

World Para Athletics believe this development addresses our strategic agenda of providing athletes with high support needs further opportunity and enhances World Para Athletics diversity and inclusion in line with the objectives of the Paralympic Movement.

You will find attached a detailed introduction to RaceRunning and its future within the family of both World Para Athletics and CPISRA.

I kindly ask you to circulate this information to the relevant national bodies within your community ...................................

Best

Ryan"

World Para Athletics: RACERUNNING

We are very pleased to update you that entry information and details are now available for the CPISRA World Games 2018, Sant Cugat - Barcelona, Spain. The Entry Invitation and Entry Qualification Standards were sent to CPISRA national members last month and can be viewed on the CPISRA website at http://cpisra.org/world-games/ within the latest World Games news.

The World Games will include 4 World Games sports and 4 development sports. The World Games sports will be Athletics (including RaceRunning), Swimming, CP Football U19 World Cup and Para Taekwondo. The development sports will be Boccia, Female CP Football, Para Table Tennis and Wheelchair Slalom. The development sports will include 2 day training camp.

Anyone interested in entering should contact their national CPISRA member. A list of CPISRA national members is available at http://cpisra.org/home-2-2/membership/member-profiles/ . If your country is not listed or your country is not sending a team then please refer to http://cpisra.org/world-games/wg-faq/# .

In addition, the local organising committee have released their Games dedicated website http://www.cpworldgames.com/ .

We appreciate the challenge of funding participation and that many participates will need to raise funds. At http://cpisra.org/world-games/wg-funding/ there is a long list of self fund raising ideas for athletes.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact Sam Turner, CPISRA Events & Relationship Manager at sam.turner@cpisra.org .

The Local Organising Committee (FECPC) has released invitation to compete to CPISRA Member countries. Inviting athletes, coaches, staff, officials and volunteers to be part of the CPISRA World Games 2018 in Sant Cugat - Barcelona, Spain.

Click below for to read the Invitation.

INVITATION - CPISRA World Games 2018

Further information on the World Games is available at the Games dedicate website http://www.cpworldgames.com.
CPISRA appreciates the challenge for Members and Athletes in funding participation and we hope the advance notice provided by this Invitation and prior announcements helps with planning. At http://cpisra.org/world-games/wg-funding/ there is a long list of self fund raising ideas for athletes.

Graham Condie, CPISRA Research Officer, has today published the first of what will be a series of articles relating to understanding and recognising CP participation in sport, recreation and exercise. Graham’s first article is titled “Understanding Cerebral Palsy”. 

To read the Summary and/or the Full Article click the following links. If you have any questions or comments please email Graham at graham.condie@cpisra.org .

Summary - Understanding Cerebral Palsy

Full Article - Understanding Cerebral Palsy

The following is the abstract from the article :

Inclusion within sports, recreation, fitness and exercise is essential as every individual has the right to engage, participate in and have a choice of different sports, recreation, fitness and exercise activities. This is no different for individuals who have Cerebral Palsy. Although, in society, one of the main issues is how to make activities accessible and inclusive for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, within society there can be little understanding and appreciation of how different medical conditions can effect different individuals and what this means when trying to engage in an activity. Therefore, the aim of this article is to give readers an understanding of Cerebral Palsy and how it can affect different individuals. It will also discuss the different types and forms of Cerebral Palsy, how it can affect individuals as well as the importance of recognising the individual even though they may have Cerebral Palsy.

Dr Peter Van de Vliet, IPC Science and Medical Director pictured with researchers at CPISRA RaceRunning World Championships. The researchers from Edinburgh University, Queen Margaret University and CPISRA undertook evidence based classification, physiology and movement research throughout the week of the championships. With 30 plus athletes directly participating in the research. CPISRA would like to thank all those who were involved with this valuable research.

The CPISRA RaceRunning World Championships and International RaceRunning Camp was held last week in Frederiksberg, Denmark. The competition and camp grows each year, with 98 athletes from 13 countries (Austria, Brazil, Denmark, England, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, The Faroe Island and USA) competing in the biggest one yet. Athletes can participate in three training days at the Camp before the three days of competition begins. 

As usual athletes produced fantastic races with many exciting close finishes and a spectacular total of twenty world records. RR1’s Henrik Eriksson broke the 400m and 800m world record, Muninder Singh Hayer broke the 200m world record, Marika Vaihnger broke the 200m world record and junior Levi Hanusarson broke the 100m world record. RR2’s Lasse Kroman broke the 5000m world record, Rie Lynge Rasmussen broke the 1500m and 5000m world record and junior Hannibal Caderberg broke the 100m, 200m and 400m world records. RR3’s Gavin Drysdale broke the 400m and 1500m world records and Thea Berggren Jorgensen broke the 5000m world record. RR3’s juniors Sayer Grooms broke the 200m, 400m, 8000m and 1500m world record, Vanessa Berg broke the 200m world record and Kristine Hagen Jabobsen broke the 100m world record.  

A representative from the IPC attended the three days of competition which created an excited buzz around the competition which motivated the athletes even more.   

This year the CPISRA World Championships allowed significant progress to be made in the development of RaceRunning as a sport. Research teams from Edinburgh University, Queen Margaret University and CPISRA researchers collected data including measurements to help aid the development of an evidence based classification system for RaceRunning and monitoring heart rate and speed of athletes when they are both training and competing. Over 30 athletes happily volunteered to participate in the research which will help to aid the future of RaceRunning.

Should CPISRA hold and encourage international sports and/or activity camps? If so what sort of camps?

We would very much like your help to answer these questions, please complete one of the relevant questionnaires below. We would like lots of people around the world to complete a questionnaire so please let others know.

This questionnaire is part of research that CPISRA is doing into the demand for sports camps and recreational activity camps for individuals with Cerebral Palsy or other neurological conditions. The research is also looking at individuals’ participation in sports and recreation. Any data from this questionnaire will be used to help CPISRA to increase the number of opportunities available for people with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions. The questionnaire's will be open for completion until 15th November 2017.

Thank you.

Questionnaire for individuals with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions

Questionnaire for parents, carers and guardians

Questionnaire for professionals

Please note professionals includes teachers, support workers, therapists, doctors, coaches, etc., who work with individuals with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions.

If you have any inquiries, please email Graham Condie, CPISRA Research Officer at graham.condie@cpisra.org.

Following on from CPISRA’s announcement in April that CPISRA Federació Esportiva Catalana de Paralítics Cerebrals (FECPC) had been selected to host the 2018 CPISRA World Games, we are extremely pleased to convey that the contract to hold the Games has been signed with FECPC. We therefore confirm the 2018 CPISRA World Games will be held in Sant Cugat, Spain in August, 2018.

FECPC will shortly be releasing Call for Intention to Compete and the subsequent entry timetable will be as follows:

October 2017: Intention to Compete;

December 2017 : First entry registration;

March 2018 : Second entry payment;

May 2018  : Final Payment.

Click Draft_Schedule_World_Games_2018 for an overview of the schedule for the Games. The Opening Ceremony will be held on Sunday, 5th August and a Games Celebration Ceremony will be held Friday evening, 11th August. You will note from the schedule that arrival and departure date options are listed by Sport. This flexibility recognises the variation in length of competition across Sports and is also to help reduce cost of entry. Team members of a country may all arrive and depart together or separately, depending on the sport in which individual team members are competing.

The LOC (Local Organising Committee) recognises the financial challenge the participants may have in entering the Games and is striving to minimise cost of entry whilst delivering a wonderful and memorable Games. CPISRA has added fund raising ideas to their website. The daily fee for entry is yet to be finalised, however, it will likely be within the range €125 - €135 per day. For each of the Games’ “development sports”; Boccia, Female Football, Table Tennis and Wheelchair Slalom we are planning a development camp and competition. Also an entry fee excluding accommodation will be offered to encourage local and development participation in the Games “development sports”. Details to be released soon.

Over the next month CPISRA will release further entry and competition details as they are finalised. We encourage people interested in the Games from both participation and awareness aspects to register to receive the Games updates click the link below.

 Register Interest  

The CPISRA RaceRunning World Championship which is being held between the 13th to the 15th of July in Copenhagen, Denmark, is almost upon us. It is very much a global competition as there will be athletes from many different countries including Austria, Brazil, Denmark, England, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, The Faroe Islands and United States of America. This year’s championship is the biggest yet with a record breaking 98 athletes competing and 270 participants in total.

On Saturday 27^th May 2017, Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh collaborated with CPIRSA and researchers from Edinburgh University in order to stage the first RaceRunning Seminar within Scotland.

The day was very much a success as over 10 guest speakers from 4 different countries presented at the Seminar, each sharing their perspective on RaceRunning. Guest speakers included the Danish co-founder of RaceRunning, Connie Hansen, Dr Petra van Schie of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and Dr Liz Bryant of Chailey Heritage Clinical Services, England.

The morning session focused on the history of RaceRunning and the many benefits of the sport, whilst the afternoon session concentrated on the mechanics of a running bike and the exciting research being conducted by Edinburgh University in partnership with QMU. Also, PhD students from Edinburgh University displayed their posters about their RaceRunning related projects

CPIRSA was delighted to see that such a cross section of people attended the Seminar and to receive very positive feedback on the Seminar from various perspective. The attendees included academic researchers, university students, coaches, parents, athletes, sport administrators, volunteers and manufactures.

For more information on this event, please click: QMU RR Seminar Programme

CPISRA would like to take this opportunity to thank #RaceRunning Sweden, in particular, Vicki Skure-Eriksson for hosting the first international RaceRunning Assembly. The Assembly was a great success with over 140 athletes, coaches and classifiers from 11 countries taking part in the event. Well Done Sweden! Attached is the write up of the event by Craig Carscadden, CPISRA Head of Development and Education.

170305 RaceRunning Assembly Uppsala Sweden 23rd to 26th February-1

CPISRA representatives attend the IPC Classification Research Forum held in Bonn, Germany 9-10 February 2017. From left to right in photo, Joan Steele-Mills, CPISRA Head of Classification,  Nicola Tennant (RaceRunning Scotland), Dr Martine Verheul (Edinburgh University) and Dr Marietta van der Linden (Queen Margaret University). Martine, Marietta and Nicola are leading the evidence based RaceRunning classification research being undertaken in collaboration with CPISRA.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) led by its President Andrew Parsons has sent its condolences to the family of Jose Luis Campo, President of the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC), who passed away suddenly on Monday (16 October) in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Campo was a physical education teacher for youngsters with an impairment by profession and was instrumental in the development of the Paralympic Movement in the Americas.

He was elected the APC's founding President in 1997 and served two terms until 2005 working hard to establish and develop National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) in the region. He was elected President once again in 2013 and was currently serving his fourth term following re-election in March 2017 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

On Wednesday (18 October), he would have celebrated his 60^th birthday and leaves behind his wife Sonia Incaurgarat and three children Bernardo, Manuel and Josefina.

Andrew Parsons, the IPC's President who is currently in South Korea, said: "The Paralympic Movement has lost one of its most valuable members. Jose Luis Campo, President of the Americas Paralympic Committee, was an inspiration to anyone who knew him. His passion for the Paralympic Movement had no limits. I called him "maestro" [teacher, in Spanish] as he taught me so much over the years. His commitment with the Movement was beyond any comprehension.

I will never forget how he organised almost by himself the Parapan Games 2003. It was amazing to see his passion exciting a group of volunteers in Mar del Plata and uniting them around the dream to deliver the best possible Games, with almost no funding, to the athletes of the Americas. He was a fighter, an example of resilience.

The Paralympic Movement has a lost a good friend. His legacy to the Paralympic sport will live strong forever. It was a privilege and an honour to work alongside him. My thoughts are now with his family: Sonia, Manuel, Josefina, Bernardo.

A huge champion and advocate of athletes with high support needs, Campo during his first term as APC President oversaw the organisation of the inaugural Parapan American Games in Mexico City in 1999. Four years later they were staged in his home city Mar del Plata and he paved the way for the Games to be held in Rio in 2007, in the same city as the Pan American Games.

In order to give young athletes more opportunities in the region, he helped create the Youth Parapan American Games. The first edition was held in 2005 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, involving athletes from 10 countries.  He oversaw the latest edition this March in Sao Paulo with 800 athletes from 19 countries taking part.

In December 2015, months after the hugely successful Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, Campo signed a historic agreement on behalf of the APC with the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO).

Under its terms, the two organisations will work jointly on the bid process for future Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. The support also includes APC representatives being invited to join a number of Work Commissions, APC participation in PASO events, and PASO and the APC co-ordinating actions of National Olympic Committees, who are PASO members, to strengthen the working relationships with organisations of Paralympic sport in their respective countries.

During his current term as President, Campo was working closely with the Organising Committees of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games and Managua 2018 Para Central-American Games, once again, in order to strengthen the Paralympic Movement in the Americas.

Away from the APC, Campo served on the IPC Executive Committee from 1997 to 2005 and was an IPC Governing Board member between 2009 and 2013. He was part of the Rio 2016 IOC Co-ordination Commission overseeing Latin America's first Olympic and Paralympic Games, an event that saw NPCs from the Americas win more medals than ever before.

Campo passed away in Mar del Plata after suffering a heart attack while participating in a fundraising walk/run event to raise funds to organisations fighting children's cancer.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to publish their latest education tool entitled Parents’ Guide to Support Clean Sport. Specifically designed for parents of athletes, this education resource is intended to inform them about essential topics so that they can assist with clean athlete development by preventing the use of substances and methods prohibited in sport. The short booklet covers basic facts and includes links to websites with further information for parents on the following topics:

• Promoting good values
• Identifying a healthy sport culture
• Finding balance
• Nutrition
• The risks of supplements
• Doping risk factors
• Periods when athletes are more vulnerable to doping
• Preventing the use of prohibited substances
• Protecting the clean athlete – the doping control process
• Recognizing possible signs and symptoms of drug use
• What to do if your child is doping

“Generally, the athlete-parent relationship is the only one that is a constant throughout an athlete’s career, regardless of the level of involvement or influence of the parent,” said Rob Koehler, WADA Deputy Director General and Director of Education. “Coaches and support personnel come and go, so athletes, particularly younger athletes, commonly look to their parents as the first point of contact on many matters,” Koehler continued. “Parents need to constantly monitor their child’s environment to identify potential risk factors,” he said. “This tool will be a starting point to equip parents with the right information about clean sport and anti-doping. The booklet now being published by WADA provides this information and acts as a reference point for further learning.”   Current social science research highlights parents as particularly influential persons in young athlete populations. Parents shape their children’s personal ethics, which then guides their behaviors and their approach to sport throughout their career. Research also shows that parents, as a group, lack knowledge of anti-doping, which is why it is important that they be prioritized with targeted anti-doping education, providing them with the information they need to help guide their children*.   The Parents’ Guide to Support Clean Sport is available in online and print versions, in English, French and Spanish in the Education section of the WADA website: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/education-tools. *Erickson, K. Backhouse, S.H., & Carless, D. Doping in Sport: Do Parents Matter? Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. Vol 6(2), May 2017, 115-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/spy0000081

Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is partnering with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and the newly-formed Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to deliver the latest installment of its Legacy Outreach Program, during the IAAF Junior World Championships in Nairobi, Kenya from 12 – 17 July. The Agency’s Legacy Outreach Program, which is delivered during major international sports events, provides additional support to Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) in developing and delivering sustainable anti-doping awareness programs. This partnership will raise awareness and promote clean sport to a generation of young athletes, while leaving behind an array of resources for ADAK to use again in the future. “WADA is pleased to partner with ADAK and the Athletics Integrity Unit to bring the Legacy Outreach Program to young athletes in Nairobi, Kenya,” said Olivier Niggli, Director General, WADA. “The Program has proven to be a great way to work hand in hand with our partners in creating global awareness of anti-doping with athletes and their entourage,” Niggli continued. “By working together and creating resources that can be leveraged time and time again, WADA’s investment has a lasting and meaningful impact,” he continued.    “Along with WADA, ADAK believes that raising awareness is the first step to building understanding,” said Japhter Rugut, CEO of ADAK. “WADA’s Legacy Outreach Program and the knowledge-sharing that this unique partnership brings is greatly appreciated,” Rugut added. “The resources developed by WADA for ADAK will be used for this event and many other events in Kenya, in the future,” he continued. “As a complement to values-based education, Legacy Outreach is one of the best ways to curb doping by reaching athletes as early as possible; informing them of the many anti-doping resources at their disposal; and, informing them of the channels they have to voice concerns regarding any doping that may exist within their teams or federations.”   “The AIU is pleased to partner with WADA and ADAK at one of the IAAF’s biggest events for youth,” said David Howman, Chair of the AIU. “At this early stage in their athletic careers, athletes must be fully empowered to know their rights and responsibilities and we are pleased to play our part in this regard.”   The Legacy Outreach team, which is made up of members from ADAK, AIU and WADA, will be led by athlete ambassadors Tegla Loroupe and Paula Radcliffe. Loroupe, who is a member of WADA’s Athlete Committee, is probably best known as the first African female to win the New York Marathon; and as having led the Refugee Team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Radcliffe, a member of the IAAF’s Athlete Committee, currently holds the world record in the marathon. Both athletes are vocal supporters of the clean sport movement and have firsthand knowledge of the pressures surrounding doping in sport. The Outreach team will invite athletes, coaches and other support staff to take part in fun and educational activities. They will be encouraged to complete the Play True Quiz, which is now available in 39 languages, to sign the Clean Sport Pledge and to share their thoughts on social media using the hashtag #CleanSport. On behalf of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Paula Radcliffe will encourage athletes to sign the AIU’s Athletes’ Pledge, through which competitors can demonstrate their commitment to clean athletics.

Montreal, 3 August 2017  Dear Stakeholders,   WADA is seeking nominations for candidates to sit on its standing committees in 2018, in accordance with its policy for committee composition and rotation. Positions become vacant each year and WADA is inviting stakeholders to look within their respective regions and organizations to put forward suitable candidates.   Following are the Committee vacancies:

• Athlete Committee – five terms
• Education Committee – six terms
• Finance and Administration Committee – two terms
• Health, Medical and Research Committee – four terms
• Compliance Review Committee - no vacancies*

*The Compliance Review Committee (CRC) was formalized as a new WADA Standing Committee in November 2016. A new rotation policy is now being implemented and there are no vacant seats available at this time.   The current composition of the Committees can be found on WADA’s website.   Submissions should include an appropriate letter of endorsement and a curriculum vitae providing full information on the candidate’s experience and expertise.   Please forward all nominations to Ms. Marjorie Chinnarassen of WADA’s Executive Office (email marjorie.chinnarassen@wada-ama.org or fax +1 514 904 8743) by Friday 6 October 2017. Thank you for your support in this process.   Best regards,   World Anti-Doping Agency

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to inform you that the 14^th edition of its Annual Symposium will be held from Wednesday, 21 March to Friday, 23 March 2018 at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The WADA Symposium, which is the main event on the global anti-doping calendar, is a unique and practical annual event that offers anti-doping stakeholders the opportunity to gather, interact and learn from one another. The Symposium is designed for practitioners from International Federations, Athlete Commission Representatives, National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations, Major Event Organizers and other stakeholders that are integral to clean sport including representatives from government, WADA-accredited laboratories and Athlete Passport Management Units.

Please note that further details, including a draft agenda and logistical information, will be provided when registration opens in November 2017.

In the meantime, please save these dates and feel free to send any questions or input related to the Symposium to WADA’s European Office Coordinator, Ms. Sibylle Villard, at sibylle.villard@wada-ama.org.

Montreal, 15 June 2017

Dear Colleagues,

If you have not already registered for WADA’s 4th Therapeutic Use Exemption Symposium, please note that the deadline to register is 31 August 2017 and, for hotel reservations, 6 September 2017. This two-day programme, specifically tailored for physicians, will be held on 21-22 September 2017 at the Scandic Grand Marina Congress Center in Helsinki, Finland.

Organizations can confirm their participation via the online registration platform.

Registration for this event is for one physician per organization. It is likely that we will accept a second participant, space permitting. If your organization would like to register a second person, please do so and we will include this participant on our waiting list.

The primary objective of the meeting is to unify our approach to the TUE process, ensuring that athletes with genuine medical conditions remain fully engaged in sport despite their need for the use of a prohibited substance or method. A unique opportunity will be offered to representatives from National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) and International Federations (IFs) to meet in a common forum to discuss issues of mutual importance.

The two-day programme addresses challenging and timely topics including contentious TUE case studies, cultural influences on the granting of TUEs and Prohibited List criteria as they relate to TUEs. Also on the agenda will be talks on retroactive TUEs, the effect of possible future ISTUE revisions and other medico-legal topics. A special hands-on session will address practical real life challenges in anti-doping and showcase tested strategies of experienced professionals. Talks at the Symposium will be delivered through a lively combination of podium presentations and interactive discussions.

We look forward to your participation at this unique event.

Sincerely,

World Anti-Doping Agency