Ski club for people with disabilities “Sarajevo” in Bjelašnica organized the first inclusive ski race “Skiing4all Sarajevo 2026”, where Paralympians, ambassadors and members of the Special Olympics gathered.
The event started on Friday in the Olympic Museum, where the results so far were promoted within the framework of the ERASMUS+ project “Cooperation Sport4all”, which the Ski Club for Persons with Disabilities “Sarajevo” is implementing together with the organization BRAVO, and partner organizations from Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro.
On Saturday, the Day of Adaptive Skiing was marked through demonstrations of skiing by people with sensory impairments (blind and partially sighted), amputees, and children with intellectual disabilities and hearing impairments, while on Sunday a race was held where for the first time Paralympians, people with the most severe forms of physical disability and disability, blind and partially sighted people, amputees, members of the BiH Special Olympics, and on the other side of the track, at the same time, typical people.
Symbolically one against the other, without result significance and with only one goal, sport for all or skiing for all as the first inclusive race was called.
The significance of the event was recognized by the ambassadors of Switzerland, Denmark and Slovenia, as well as famous sportsmen such as Tomislav Cvitanušić, Belma Pećanin, Amel Kapo and many others, who with their presence provided unreserved support for the idea and vision that sport is the right of all people who want to engage in it, regardless of physical disability or intellectual difficulty.
“With the first inclusive race “Skiing4all-Sarajevo 2026”, a historical page was written, but also a new chapter was opened when it comes to sports for people with disabilities. Ski club for people with disabilities “Sarajevo” showed with an inclusive race on Bjelašnica that the power of human will is indestructible. One small step is enough to see in action that barriers do not exist if given the right opportunity,” said Nijaz Memić, the originator of the idea of this competition and a Paralympian who was the first to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Winter Paralympic Games.
At the end of the event, after the presentation of medals to all participants, a special award was given to the late Professor Senad Turković, who was a prominent Paralympian, sports teacher and sports worker who left an indelible mark on the development of sports for people with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Berina Turković, daughter of the late professor Turković, presented the award to BiH paraswimmer Ismail Zulfić, a member of PK Spid from Sarajevo.
The project was supported by the City of Sarajevo and KJP ZOI 84.
