The Saint-Nicolas de Langogne and Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole residential homes at the Paralympic Games during an inclusive stay

Residents of the Saint-Nicolas residential care homes attended blind football matches. Midi Libre – Correspondent

The residents attended blind football at the Champs-de-Mars and wheelchair basketball at the Arena Bercy.

"Extraordinary." This is the first word that comes to mind for David Teissandier, the person in charge of the stay, to describe this week at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. "The whole team found the stay and its progress great, everything was top notch. A big congratulations to the residents."

This stay, which took place on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 September, the second of a major project organized in cooperation between the Haute-Loire Departmental Council for Adapted Sports (CDSA 43) and the Saint-Nicolas Homes Association, brought together twelve disabled residents from the Boisset (Cantal), Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole and Langogne residential homes. The residents spent two days in Paris for a sports and cultural holiday camp with many activities.

Wheelchair basketball at the Arena Bercy

On the first day, residents attended two blind football matches between the Colombian team and the Moroccan team and the Argentinian team and the Japanese team. Both matches took place on the Champs-de-Mars, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Despite a few drops of rain during the morning, the Lozériens and Cantaliens were able to enjoy the two matches. A wonderful discovery in a splendid setting for holidaymakers and their companions. "What I liked best were the football matches", confides cheerfully Jean-Michel, resident of the Saint-Alban home.

The second day, it was wheelchair basketball. For this event, the group went to the Arena Bercy to watch a match between the men's teams of Australia and Spain and a women's quarter-final between the Chinese team and the Japanese team. Again, a great time shared in a crazy atmosphere. "I really liked the women's wheelchair basketball, they were very strong“, shares Noël, a resident of the Saint-Alban home. "The atmosphere was great", confides Thierry, a resident of the Langogne home.

The atmosphere was great at the Bercy Arena for wheelchair basketball. Midi Libre – Correspondent

Two days without the slightest hitch

But this stay was also a cultural stay to discover the city of Paris with a ride on the Seine and a tour through the streets of the capital in an amphibious bus organized on the first day, as well as a walk to the Olympic flame cauldron.

This stay was also cultural. Midi Libre – Correspondent

Despite some apprehensions regarding the organization and accessibility of the city and the Olympic and Paralympic Games infrastructure, these two days went off without a hitch. “Everything went very smoothly, whether on public transport or within the infrastructure, we did not expect so much ease“, say the accompanying persons. A very nice message for the inclusion of people with disabilities.

“It was very good. Not too tiring. It was my first time in Paris, it was great“, says Yann, a resident of Boisset. “It went well. I'm very happy. I really enjoyed the walks around Paris“, smiles Michel de Langogne.”I really enjoyed it. I was a bit scared on the escalators but it's okay“, remembers Dominique de Saint-Alban. “Basketball was great, even if I didn't win a medal“, jokes Rémi, from Boisset.

I subscribe to read the rest