About the foundation

The Paralympic Sports Foundation PARASPORT is a non-profit charitable foundation organized to support development of sports and physical culture. It serves as a long term source of financial assistance in physical rehabilitation, social adaptation for athletes and people with physical and sensory impairments, and promotes equal opportunities for all members of the modern community.

PARASPORT works in close partnership with the Russian Paralympic Committee and international paralympic organizations.

The PARASPORT foundation invites founding contributors to join us in our work. We are open to partnerships and cooperation to support the right of disabled people to full participation, equality, and development through the world of sports.

MISSION The foundation, both in its role as a founding sponsor of the Paralympic Movement and through a variety of other fund-raising initiatives:
— supports paralympic athletes in their participation in sports and social activities
— provides financial support directly to promising athletes
— stimulates public policy discussion and promotes sports among disabled individuals and groups
— helps to enact measures to advance the state of paralympic sports in the country

THE FOUNDATION GOVERNANCE

President
Andrey Strokin
Five-time Paralympic champion

The Executive Board
Oleg Smolin
Vice President of the Russian Paralympic Committee Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation

Oleg Boyko
Founder of PARASPORT Foundation Head of the Paralympic Movement Development Committee of the Russian Paralympic Committee

Rimma Batalova
Thirteen fold Paralympics Champion

ACTIVITIES AND SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMMES

PARASPORT strives to provide sufficient funding and charitable programs to paralympic athletes through active cooperation with the National Paralympic Committee of Russia. Today the foundation works to develop charitable programs in three major fields.

Paralympic Teams Sponsorship
Through our fundraising efforts and donations to the Russian Paralympic Team and other paralympic teams, PARASPORT has provided substantial financial assistance for the country’s athletes and sports facilities.

Training
PARASPORT sponsors training of individual athletes with disabilities, assists in construction of new sports facilities and methodology development. The foundation also helps to create new jobs for disabled sportsmen. This aid is provided mostly upon request and recommendation from the National Paralympic Committee and other paralympic institutions.

In 2010 the foundation establishes special grants for Russian athletes – participants of the Vancouver Winter Paralympics of 2010. The money is distributed among those sportsmen who did not receive Paralympic medals but were among the top ten finalists in the Paralympics competitions. The first three prizes have been granted to skiers and hockey players.

Russian Paralympic Team sponsorship
PARASPORT provides regular financial and organizational support to the Russian Paralympic Committee, aimed at the national paralympic team’s training and participation in the Paralympic Games.

Paralympic Movement Development
The foundation is deeply committed to issues and events pertaining to athletes with disabilities throughout the world. PARASPORT’s major goal is to assist in building strong relationships between Russian and international paralympic organizations, athletes, government institutions, and society at large. Our assistance is realized through financing and arranging events and educational programs.

Seminars
PARASPORT supports organization of international conferences and seminars for Russian and the CIS paralympic teams’ coaches, scientists, administrators, and doctors to meet with the International Paralympic Committee’s and international experts in the field of sports for athletes with a disability.

Official Events
The foundation has been organizing a number of events to strengthen cooperation between paralympic institutions and to promote paralympic sports among the public.

During the ХI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 PARASPORT foundation sponsors Russian talk show “Heroes of Our Time”. The objective of the program is to provide good and positive examples of helping people find themselves, and to promote qualities like determination, optimism, and willpower, which can help to bring about success no matter the hardships faced. The show was launched on Russia’s leading business channel RBC TV.

In 2010 PARASPORT establishes an annual award for Russian provinces for outstanding achievements in support and development of paralympic movement. The first award is given to Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region for its “most dynamic development of paralympic sports”. This Russian province provides excellent modern sports infrastructure and will host the World Biathlon Championship in 2011.

In 2008 the foundation sponsors and organizes an Ambassador reception at the Beijing Paralympics. The event served as a meeting point for representatives of fifteen National Paralympic Committees, the Games organizers, and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

In 2007 PARASPORT arranges a visit of Sir Phillip Craven, the President of the International Paralympic Committee, to Moscow. This event helped the Russian Paralympic Committee to strengthen relations with the IPC and discuss plans for paralympic movement development in Russia, those including Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014.

Awards Ceremonies
Parasport sponsors awards ceremonies for outstanding achievements in paralympic sports in order to promote paralympic activities among government institutions, the media, and the general public and to increase the public’s awareness and engagement in the paralympic movement.