The province of San Luis turned out to be a revelation in the 2022 edition of the Evita National Games. The experience generated endless anecdotes, such as those experienced by the boys from the Parque La Pedrera sports school in Villa Mercedes, who during the unforgettable sports adventure got to know the sea and brought home gold and silver medals.
“We traveled to Mar del Plata with 9 athletes, 8 of whom are adapted in table tennis, to badminton, athletics, bowls and wheelchair basketball, returning with 4 gold medals and one silver”, commented Emanuel Balmaceda, coordinator of adapted sports, for whom the aforementioned achievements “were a surprise and, of course, a great joy for the entire school and for the families who bring their children to the Park”.
The coach clarified that “all practices have a recreational purpose, particularly for boys who have some type of disability; however, when there is a competition we try to participate and qualify, as was the case with the Evita Games. The boys trained a lot and almost daily, because among the incentives they had, there was one that had them very excited: getting to know the sea, since it coincided that none of the 9 had ever seen it. And so it was that as soon as we got off the bus they found the Atlantic, an experience that filled them with joy”.
After the satisfaction of appreciating the ocean, the athletes focused on successfully qualifying in their disciplines. Once that stage was over, they managed to win the different matches, thus adding the points so that San Luis surpassed its own record with 53 medals won, against the 32 obtained in the 2019 edition. “These were days of many beautiful emotions in Mar del Silver, and much more when we return and meet again with the families and the other boys”, assured the sports coordinator.
The school works from Monday to Friday, in morning and afternoon shifts, in the south wing of the Single Stadium, with a varied offer of disciplines, which in the case of adapted sports has no age limits and students are always received.
Note and photos: ANSL Villa Mercedes.
