Photo unsplash / Ethan Wilkinson

The white and red team brought back from Funchal no less than ten medals for individual achievements: five gold, two silver and three bronze, as well as gold in the team category.

From September 29 to October 3, 2022, Poles participated in the World Judo Championships for people with Down syndrome in Funchal, Portugal. Our country was represented by players and coaches from clubs UKS Ada Judo Fun from Gdańsk, IKS Atak from Elbląg and Judo FightClub from Warsaw.

“This huge success was possible thanks to the fact that parents used to entrust their children to instructors and trainers who developed in them a passion for sport. The investment in sport has paid off a hundredfold. These young disabled athletes are healthy, full of energy, motivated to work hard and achieve their goals. They return from competition with the title of world champions, which boosts their self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities. They are admired by crowds of fans,” says Paulina Gadomska-Dzięcioł, President of the Foundation for Sports for the Intellectually Disabled.

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The organizer of these world championships was the Portuguese Sports Association of People with Mental Disabilities. The competition was part of a fight initiated by the Sports Union of Down Syndrome Athletes. On the Polish side, our team’s participation in the championship was coordinated by the Sportu Foundation for people with intellectual disabilities. Adriana Dadci-Smoliniec and Michał Dąbrowski provided training care for the athletes.