From the dance floor to the sky: how to prepare for the X International dance and parachute festival of wheelchair users

Athletes of the dance and health center in the agro-town of Kolodishchi are preparing for the X International dance and parachute festival of disabled people with musculoskeletal disorders. This is reported by the correspondent of sb.by.

The history of the center began in 1992. Then, with the support of government bodies, a specialized complex began to be created on the territory of the former military training ground. The author and project manager, chairman of the public association “Belarusian Fund for Athletes and Disabled People”, Honored Coach of the Republic of Belarus Valery Kolomiets recalls:

- Belarus was one of the first in the CIS to develop sports dances in wheelchairs.

And the results were not long in coming. In 1998, at the first World Wheelchair Dance Championship, Belarusian athletes became the first world champions in the history of this sport. Another Belarusian couple repeated the success in 2000 - already at the first World Championship in wheelchair dancing under the auspices of the International Paralympic Committee.

Over the decades, a lot of experience has been gained here. Athletes from different countries came to the center, classes and rehabilitation races were held. There were guests from Moscow, Kazakhstan, Poland, Azerbaijan. Professional and friendly relations have been maintained with many foreign colleagues.

Thus was born the direction, which today became the hallmark of the project. Its meaning is much broader than extreme passion.

Now there are 11 people on a specialized training camp. Among them are four girls who not only have high achievements in wheelchair dancing, but also make tandem parachute jumps from a height of several kilometers.

Evelina Khalilova, master of sports of the Republic of Belarus in sports dances in wheelchairs, multiple champion of the country in dances, came as a schoolgirl - at the age of 16. Two years later, she decided to jump with a parachute. And the first jump changed the attitude to altitude.

Today Evelina has work, training and big plans. One of the immediate goals is to stage a Latin American program with a partner and perform at the World and European Championships.

For Evelina, the center is not just a place of training. Here people become a team and sometimes friends and mentors for each other.

A special role in her sports path was played by Natalia Astanina – master of sports of international class, bronze medalist of the Continents Cup 2019, repeated champion of Belarus in sports dances in wheelchairs, laureate of the international Philanthropist award 2025.

Natalia has been dancing for 18 years. She came to the center as a 12-year-old girl. She was educated as a teacher-psychologist of inclusive education, worked in her specialty. But dancing remained a part of her life.

The first jump Natalia made in 2014. Since then, parachuting has become a part of her life. Together with other athletes, Natalia participated in foreign competitions. Not only courage, but also professional training is important here: experienced instructors who know the features of jumping for people with disabilities work with participants.

At the same time, Natalia herself admits that the example of older comrades helped her decide:

- I saw what others could do, and I thought, why not try?

According to her, after overcoming fear, there is a completely new sense of your own capabilities: if you were able to do what seemed impossible, then you can move on – in school, work, ordinary life. This effect, according to the center, is one of the main goals of the project.

In sports dances in wheelchairs, athletes perform in different classes depending on the degree of impairment of motor functions. There are European and Latin American programs, single, freestyle. But regardless of discipline, one important principle is that a person should not see limitations, but opportunities.