The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee facilitated a meeting of the Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Committee and the first lady of Australia Ms. Therese Rein who was in Trinidad and Tobago for CHOGM over the weekend. Fresh off the heels of being officially ratified as members of the International Paralympic Committee (the IPC) the TTPC gave a good showing of their ability as Para-athletes at a brief meeting and demonstration last Saturday at the Jean Pierre Complex, Port of Spain.
Ms. Rein, who was accompanying her husband to Trinidad for the CHOGM 2009, used the opportunity to meet with the TTPC, where she was able to gain insight on its operations and sporting opportunities for persons with disabilities in Trinidad & Tobago. As a woman who is highly involved in the Paralympic Movement, both in her home country of Australia and Internationally, Ms. Rein gave an account of her personal experience with her father acquiring a physical disability as a result of a flying accident. She spoke of his involvement in Paralympic sport in Australia and at Stoke Mandeville in London in the 1940s. This story touched the members of the TTPC who were inspired and as Michael Fraser, the president of the TTPC said, “the event was a excellent way for our athlete’s to demonstrate their talents and a chance to learn from Ms. Rein’s experiences.”
The TTPC showed that they can walk the walk and not just talk the talk, by organizing a high action demonstration of wheelchair basketball and table tennis. Short testimonies were also made by three of the TTPC’s own athletes, Carlos Green, internationally recognized visually impaired powerlifter, Chantol Imes , a young swimmer from San Fernando, and long standing member, wheelchair basketball and table tennis player, Bernard Beaumont.
The TTPC recently became an official member of the International Paralympic Committee and sent two representatives to the IPC’s conference and general meeting, held during the last week of November in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The TTPC president - Michael Fraser and assistant, Canadian intern – Jennie Wong, attended the event on behalf of the TTPC.
For more information, please contact the Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Commitee via e-mail on
ttparalympic@gmail.com or by calling the TTPC Office at 627-5744/ 624-6060
