“Yes, it is very nice to be able to do an internship with all the Paralympic athletes.”
These are the words of Mieke Van Thuyne, top trainer G-athletics at G-sport Vlaanderen. She sees a steep increase in professionalism among her athletes.
“There is now an exchange with coaches from other disciplines. That is important, because we must be able to plan the best possible individual trajectory for each athlete.”
This exchange occurs not only in coaching, but also on the track. For example, G-athlete Kiara Maene has been training with Belgian 100 meter champion Rani Rosius for a while.
“There is a huge click between the two,” says Van Thuyne. “Rani is an example for Kiara. That is also Rani’s merit.”
The sprinters themselves are also delighted by the collaboration.
“Rani also helps me if there is a problem, if I don’t understand the exercise correctly or if I do something wrong,” Maene shares.
A role that Rosius takes on with great pleasure. “It’s really not that different for me. She gets along well with the group and really enjoys it.”
“We saw that she used to be unable to complete training, but now we don’t notice it anymore. Now she enjoys doing the really black training. She really goes that step further. We help her push through her limit,” says Rosius.
That increased training effort may well pay off in Paris. “I want to compete in a final there,” laughs Maene.
The beginning of a sporty, bright future thanks to inclusivity?
