Rowing, wheelchair rugby… Handisport is developing in the Lot

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While the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games shed light on the disabled sportsand a few days from the Disability Day of December 5, 2024 has Cahors dedicated this year to the theme of sport, we met the president of the Lot Handisport Committee since the end of January 2024 Jérôme Pailler. This champion with a fine background has been practicing rowing for the disabled since 2014.

Meeting with the president of the Lot disabled sports committee

The headquarters of the Lot disabled sports committee is located at the Maison des Associations, Place Bessières in Cahors. The steering committee is made up of a representative from each affiliated club.

Can all sports adapt to disability?

Jérôme Pailler – Handisport focuses on sensory motor disability, which is not necessarily wheelchair-based, as it can be visual or auditory. Yes, all sports can adapt to disability, but everything depends on human investment, support for athletes with disabilities.

What is the current state of disabled sports in the Lot? How do you plan to develop it to affiliate more clubs?

We only have 5 clubs, to date, affiliated with disabled sports in the Lot. They are located mainly within Grand Cahors. We have affiliated two rowing clubs, in Cahors and Douelle. We have the Cahors Lot XIII chair, the affiliated Cadurcian Devils, which are open to the able-bodied public. The Défi tandem Handisport association, based in Cahors, which is affiliated with the Handisport federation, offers tandem stays, bringing together sighted and visually impaired people.

We created the “Handisport quercynois” association, a sports association based at the old Croix de Fer swimming pool, in Cahors, which offers disabled sports for people with fairly severe disabilities, such as boccia popularized at the last Games. , blowgun shooting and laser rifle shooting. For this last association that our Committee created, we have an agreement with the APF (Association of Paralyzed People of France), with a view to welcoming the public into inclusive housing, but this association is open to all disabled people. These 5 affiliated associations represent around fifty licensees.

Our Handisport committee was created in 2013 in the Lot. In February 2024, we recruited a full-time project manager to develop the influence of disabled sports across the Lot.

What is the role of this mission manager?

Previously, we had an employee, but part-time. The project manager has a “adapted activity and health” function. As such, she is seconded to the “Handisport Quercynois” association. It raises awareness of the practice of disabled sports in schools and businesses, particularly in collaboration with the “businesses get involved” club. It aims to develop the affiliation of sports clubs to our Lot Disabled Sports Committee, both in terms of number, sporting and geographical diversity. Given that our project manager is preparing to leave us by the end of the month, we are going to launch a recruitment process for the position of “project manager/development agent”.

By what means do you contact other clubs with a view to affiliating them to disabled sport? What sports could offer disabled sports in the Lot in the near future?

The Lot Department invited our Disabled Sports and Adapted Sport committees (for people with a psychological or mental disability) to present our projects to all departmental sports committees. We are in contact with swimming, pétanque and athletics.

Beyond club affiliation, we will set up “disabled sport” discovery cycles such as “knowing how to swim”, open to everyone, even to unaffiliated clubs.

What actions do you wish to take with the future Institute for Young Blind People, which will open soon in Cahors?

We will think about what we can offer them.

How do you manage to coordinate affiliated clubs?

In 2025, we would like to organize an inter-disabled club and inter-committee “disabled sport and adapted sport” day. We will support these affiliated clubs in seeking funding for the adaptation of their equipment.

Have you been able to appreciate any impact of the Paralympic Games?

We have been very popular with schools and leisure centers. The other part of our action is awareness of disabled sports.

New initiatives are being set up, such as Joël'Lot, an association created by gendarmes to involve disabled people in trails, using joëlettes worn by participants. They are in contact with people with disabilities.

To develop disabled nature sports in the Lot, we are in contact with the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park.

Can disabled sport be opened to the able-bodied public?

Most disabled activities can be opened to able-bodied people. This creates links between people, mutual aid. You have to find clubs and people with disabilities.

What is the promotional action for disabled sports by your Lot Committee? What are your next events?

With the City of Cahors, on December 5, we are partners in the organization of the disability day, which will take place at the Palais des Sports in Cahors, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the theme “sport and disability”, with the discovery of boccia, disabled rowing, with a rower, armchair rugby league, with an evening match at 7:30 p.m. The young association “Lot'Regard”, based in Cahors-Bégoux, will present its activity around hiking for visually impaired people, each accompanied by one person.

Within the Lot Handisport Committee, we are starting physical activities, in nursing homes, with our project manager, with a view to restoring autonomy to elderly people. In close partnership with the psychomotor therapist, we start with “les Rives de Cabessut”, in Cahors.

We have a sports school project, for the youngest people with disabilities.

From January 20 to 22, 2025, the OIS du Grand Figeac will organize three disabled sports days in Cajarc, in which we will participate.

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