Paralympics and the Seisen Mission

Paralympics and the Seisen Mission
  • Elementary
  • High School
  • Kindergarten
  • Middle School
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Douglas Brittain

Last week the countdown to the Tokyo Paralympics was down to only 150 days. Over the last four years Seisen International School has worked with various organizations to help students learn about the Paralympic movement and experience adaptive sports for themselves. 

Paralympic Values 

From http://www.paralympic.org/

The Paralympic Movement has adopted and follows athlete-focused values, which act as the underlying reference for all those involved in Para sport.

COURAGE: Para athletes through their performances showcase to the world what can be achieved when testing your body to its absolute limits

DETERMINATION: Para athletes have a unique strength of character that combines mental toughness, physical ability and outstanding agility to produce sporting performances that regularly redefine the boundaries of possibility

INSPIRATION: As role models, Para athletes maximise their abilities, empowering and exciting others to be active and participate in sport

EQUALITY: Through sport, Para athletes celebrate diversity and show that difference is a strength. As pioneers for inclusion, they challenge stereotypes, transform attitudes and break down social barriers and discrimination towards persons with disabilities.

The Paralympic Values align with many of the Seisen Guiding Statements.

 

Para-Athletes at Seisen

Blind Swimming

In November of 2018 Uchu Tomita visited Seisen as part of Modern Languages Day. He did not have to far travel as he was a student at Nippon Sports Science University just up the street from Seisen. Mr. Tomita spoke about how he got started in swimming and the key role that a partner plays in helping blind swimmers compete. Students also had a chance to see his gold and silver medals from Asian Para-Games

Wheelchair Basketball

Shinji Negi was the captain of the Japan Wheelchair Basketball Team at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. He now woks with the Nippon Foundation Paralympics Support Center. Mr. Negi visits hundreds of schools across Japan each year. Mr. Negi visited Seisen twice in 2019. During his first visit in April he met with Elementary students. He returned again in November to meet with High School students. In his second visit a small group of students demonstrated leadership by taking on the roles of MC, translator and assistants for Mr Negi. One of the highlights of each visit was the staff vs. staff game.

Read more in this Seisen Post article.

Wheelchair Rugby

All students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 travelled to Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to view a match of the 2019 World Wheel Chair Rugby Challenge. For most students it was their first time experiencing this fast-paced game. Wheelchair Rugby is the only team event in the Paralympics where women and men compete together.

Blind Soccer

Representatives of the Japan Blind Football Association were some of the last guests to visit Seisen in February 2020 before schools across Japan were closed due to the rising Covid-19 pandemic. Students had a chance to experience the teamwork that is essential in blind soccer as sighted guides share directions with blind players. Plans for Seisen students to watch matches at the International Blind Soccer Word Grand Prix in Shinagawa were no longer possible with the cancellation of the tournament.

Blindflded student kicks ball

Current Seisen families can view more photos of all of these events on the "Photo Galleries" page in the website portal.

Tokyo Paralympics

The Tokyo Paralympic Games will be held August 24th to September 5th. Seisen International School will start returning for the new school year from August 18th. It will be exciting to have amazing athletes from around the world competing in Tokyo as we begin our 2021-2022 school year. The COURAGE, DETERMINATION, INSPIRATION, EQUALITY will be a great model for Seisen students to learn from.

 

Thank you to the Seisen Faculty and Staff on the "Seisen 2020 Committee" who have created these and many more opportunities for Seisen International School students to make connections with the Tokyo Games.

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