Creating an environment where people with disabilities can access appropriate information about healthy lifestyle through nutrition and physical activity is the objective of the "Sport for Everyone" project, supported by the European Union in Novi Travnik.

"My son looks forward to every training session. He socializes, takes part in sports activities, and spends time with people who make him feel accepted. Meeting his friends is especially important to him, but so is the opportunity to stay active, exercise, and break away from his daily routine," says the mother of one of the project participants, a young person with multiple disabilities.

She adds that the opportunities for socializing and participating in organized activities become increasingly limited for people with disabilities as they grow older.

"I only wish there were activities like this available all the time."

The "Sport for Everyone" project is being implemented by the „Aktiva“ Association from Novi Travnik through the Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD3), funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the City of Novi Travnik. The project is intended for children, young people, and adults with disabilities.

The mother of a nine-year-old girl participating in the project has simple wishes: for her daughter to be happy, accepted, and included in social activities.

"All of these activities give her the opportunity to explore the world through play and sport. As a mother, it means so much more to me - it means seeing my child smiling, surrounded by peers and people who accept her exactly as she is," she says.

David Marin, President of the “Aktiva” Association, explains that the project's main idea was to create a space where people with disabilities could stay active, socialize, and experience a variety of sports, including football, basketball, athletics, tennis, bowling, and swimming.

"Initially, we planned to include 20 people with disabilities in the project. However, due to the high level of interest, that number increased to 27. Since the project is called “Sport for Everyone”, it could hardly be any other way. Our goal is to make sport truly accessible to everyone who wants to participate, regardless of their abilities or limitations," Marin says.

So far, participants have had the opportunity to try a range of sports, including football, basketball, athletics, tennis, bowling, and swimming. During every training session, the activities and exercise courses were carefully adapted to the participants' motor abilities and levels of concentration.

In addition to sports activities, all participants attended two workshops with a nutritionist. "They learned about the benefits of healthy eating and even prepared healthy meals for themselves," Marin explains.

Photo: Karlo Gavric

When asked what the project means to her, one of the participants replied: "It's fun. The project helps us become stronger, healthier, and make new friends."

For Marin, the greatest measure of the project's success is not athletic achievement but "the fact that participants look forward to new activities, ask when they will come again, and build friendships with one another."

In this way, the "Sport for Everyone" project demonstrates that sport is not only an opportunity for physical activity but also a powerful tool for inclusion and for promoting healthier lifestyles.