All towards 2024: meeting with the Nantes champion, Charles Noakes

Since the designation of Paris as the host city of the Games in 2024, an Olympic and Paralympic week has been organized each year. It begins this Monday (April 3) until Saturday (April 8) on the theme of inclusion. Among the athletes from the West, who have a good chance of taking part in these Paralympic Games, Charles Noakes is a para-badminton champion: this 25-year-old from Nantes plays in the SH6 category, reserved for players of short stature and he has recently consolidate his 4th place in the world by participating in the final of the Toledo Open in Spain.

They must then find the solution to play under these conditions

Charles Noakes regularly goes to schools to raise awareness among young people about disability, as he explains to Simon Reungoat. “There is an awareness to talk about the importance of the practice of sport on health. Today we know that many young people spend more time in front of their screen than outside, and this can have an impact on their health.. Afterwards, there is a practical part: they (the young people) do “general” badminton, and I put them in a chair, in the conditions of “para badminton” players or for example with a single arm or a single leg. They must then find the solution to play under these conditions. This is where they realize the gaze of others, it is not easy for everyone. The objective is to make them aware of disability, the daily lives of people in wheelchairs, etc. To show them that it’s not easy every day!”

Not easy for all that to be publicized!

Charles Noakes uses social networks to share his daily life and the challenges that await him. “I would say that it is up to us, top athletes, whether able-bodied or disabled, to promote our disciplines, to show what we are capable of doing. We are taking advantage of the emergence of networks social: Snapchat, Insta, Twitter, LinkedIn to talk about what we do on a daily basis. To also make people want to take an interest in our disciplines and increase the number of licensees. That’s why I don’t hurt raising awareness, to interest as many different people as possible.”