(ATR) For athletes in smaller National Paralympic Committees, the Paralympic Village offers respite and comfort ahead of competing on a world stage.
Around the Rings spoke to para-athletes and officials from Angola, Lesotho, Namibia, and Papua New Guinea about the state of the village. Some athletes have competed in multiple Paralympics while others had never left their home country before coming to Rio.
All found the village accessible, and more importantly a home they can relax in between competing. The incoming Paralympians did not have to deal with the litany of problems the village was besieged by when opening in July. Instead, they found a space to train, relax, and make new friends, even with the cuts impacting the Games.
Litsitso Khotlele made her way to Rio from Lesotho to compete in the discus throw. She is one of two athletes the small African country has sent to the 2016 Paralympics. Just getting to Rio was a feat for Khotlele, as it was the first time she had traveled on an airplane, and the first time she left her home country.
Lesotho Paralympic Committee president Limpho Rakoto told ATR that during the flight it was hard for Khotlete to be at ease after the pilot explained the flight’s length and potential for turbulence. The flight from South Africa to Brazil is over 13 hours long, but a fully stocked village has made the trip worth it.
"I’m just amazed to see a place like this because there are no flats like this in Lesoto," Khotlele said. "We’ve moved to our accommodation sites and there have been no accessibility challenges. I am excited to compete and hopefully I will get to see the Christ and Sugarloaf Mountain."
Rakoto said that Khotlele’s participation in Rio 2016 will hopefully "encourage others," in Lesotho to take up sport to overcome impairments.
"She wasn’t sure that she would have made it to the Paralympics!" Rakoto said.
Ruben Soroseb is participating in his third Paralympic Games representing Namibia. Soroseb competed in the 2004 and 2012 Paralympics as well as the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games. He told ATR that the village could use "two or three more gyms," giving competitors more access to training equipment.
"We are here, what can we do?" Soroseb said. "We have to make do with what we have. The people are nice, the weather is fine and the food, facilities, everything [else] is fine. We are enjoying it."
Logistics to training venues and from the airport have put Soroseb at ease about the whole Rio experience. He looks forward to competing for the first time on Sept. 14, and has had no issues getting around the city. Afterwards, Soroseb plans to enjoy the beach and see some friends who live in Brazil.
Joyleen Jeffrey is in her second Paralympics representing Papua New Guinea. She is one of two athletes from the Pacific country who are in Rio for the Games. Jeffrey is set to compete in the 100m and 200m events for visually impaired athletes. She competed at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.
Jeffrey told ATR that she has been able to get everywhere easily in the village, and her favorite thing to experience has been "the food and the athletes from other countries."
"I’m very happy to be here," Jeffrey said. "It is okay here, even if only the weather is not really great."
Athletes are not the only ones enjoying the amenities the village has to offer. Many visually-impaired athletes require a guide during competition, who will live and train with athletes in Rio. Alaine Antonia Dias Baptista, a guide for one of the four athletes Angola has sent to Rio, told ATR the village setup makes it easy to help athletes get around. He said the village is "very beautiful and has all of the [necessary] comforts."
Baptista said that escorting the athletes around Rio to practice has gone smoothly. During the interview he and fellow guide Eduardo Chimboto stopped to take pictures of themselves in front of some of the buildings. Like the athletes, they wanted to savor the moment.
"Here, it is so tranquil," Baptista said. "We have had no problems traveling here to Rio, thank god. We arrived well. There were no robberies and everyone was safe. It is marvelous."
Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
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