When he started the swimming classes for people and children with disabilities two months ago, the trainer and founder of the Swimming Club SPID Amel Kapo could not even imagine how much joy he will bring to the little heroes.
This graduated trainer of sports and physical education (FASTO) is teaching swimming to seven children and adults with disabilities and five typical children, and the number of those interested grows every day.
Kapo dedicates all his attention to every single one of the attendees and designs a special training program for every one of his students.
“I have a special program for a little girl Iris who is 4.5 years old and does not have a right hand, and also for the boy Ismail from Zenica (5.5 years old), who does not have both hands and uses his legs for everything he does. The only style I can teach him is the dolphin style, which is one of the hardest styles,” Kapo said.
Kapo said that in the beginning Ismail literally ran away from the water, and now he reluctantly leaves the pool at the end of the training.
Kapo pointed out that this job takes love, patience, and most of all psychological preparation because he is working with the most sensitive category – children. Kapo is fully dedicated to his students, and the parents believe him infinitely.
With each one of his students Kapo held special training sessions. Now he is bringing them together, so that they could get used to each other.
“When I first started this project, inclusion was my goal and that is what I will accomplish. My second goal is to go to competitions when they are ready, those competitions exist and I am already getting calls,” Kapo said, adding that he got to know this field in detail when he was in Turkey. Kapo stated that there are numerous swimming clubs for persons with disabilities in Croatia and Serbia.
However, at the very beginning this young trainer faced financial difficulties, receiving rejections to numerous requests sent to the Sarajevo municipalities and other levels of authority. Kapo does not charge his trainings, but he has to pay the costs of using the Otoka pool.
Kapo eventually turned to the pharmaceutical company Bosnalijek for help. They recognized the significance of this idea and his enthusiasm, and provided him financial support.
(Source: novovrijeme.ba)
