Breaking Barriers in Brittany: Inclusive Archery in Laillé Bridges Olympic and Paralympic Worlds

In the heart of Ille-et-Vilaine, a small town is making a significant statement about the power of adaptive sports. The pursuit of inclusive archery in Laillé reached a new milestone on Wednesday, April 1, as the local community gathered to celebrate a sport that recognizes no boundaries between Olympic and Paralympic achievement.

Organized by the club Les Archers de Laillé, the event took place at the Salle des Boulais during the Olympic and Paralympic Week. It wasn’t just a showcase of skill, but a deliberate effort to foster sharing and inclusion within the sport.

A Champion for All

The highlight of the day was the presence of Damien Letulle, a rare figure in the sporting world who holds the title of French champion in both Olympic and Paralympic archery. Letulle’s duality serves as a living testament to the technical commonalities and shared spirit of the two disciplines.

For the members of the club and the visitors at the Salle des Boulais, having an athlete of Letulle’s caliber demonstrate the sport provided more than just technical instruction; it offered a visible roadmap for what is possible when accessibility meets elite training.

The “Club Inclusif” Standard

This event was not an isolated gesture but the result of a long-term commitment by the Archers de Laillé. The club was recently awarded the “Club inclusif” label by the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (Comité paralympique et sportif français), a certification that recognizes organizations actively working to integrate athletes with disabilities into their programs.

Bruno Demelin, president of the Archers de Laillé, has led the club toward this designation, ensuring that the facility is a welcoming environment for all. The club’s openness is reflected in its diverse membership, which includes para-license holders like Hélène Carrée and experts like Frédéric Jacquart, a para-archery referent and member of the ASV tir à l’arc bureau in Vezin-le-Coquet.

For those unfamiliar with the local landscape, the Archers de Laillé operate as a community hub, welcoming children as young as seven years old. They offer a wide spectrum of activities, ranging from leisure shooting to high-level competition across multiple disciplines, including T.A.E., indoor (Tir Salle), field (Tir Campagne) and nature archery.

Looking Toward 2026

The club’s dedication to adaptive sports is already manifesting in future scheduling. According to the Fédération Française de tir à l’arc, the organization is set to host the Individual Para-archery 18m Championship in 2026. This event will be held at the Salle omnisports in Laillé, further cementing the town’s reputation as a center for inclusive competition in the Brittany region.

By hosting these championships, the club moves from simply providing inclusive access to becoming a primary venue for para-athletes to compete at a national level.

As reported by Ouest-France, the day was defined by a spirit of sharing, proving that when the infrastructure is inclusive, the sport becomes a universal language.

The next major checkpoint for the community will be the lead-up to the 2026 Para-archery championships. We invite readers to share their thoughts on the growth of adaptive sports in the comments below.