The feeling of belonging (in sport)

It's Saturday morning, the sun is shining outside and a fresh breeze is blowing. As soon as we enter the room, a young woman comes towards us. "Hello, I'm Lynn, and what's your name?" A few very direct questions later, we realise that we've come to the right place. A few older ladies and gentlemen are already sitting at a table, while the first people in their sports gear are waiting outside at the equipment. Lynn, who, as it turns out later, is on the autism spectrum, welcomes all the new arrivals who are gradually trickling into the Lycée Bel-Val – on a school-free weekend, voluntarily. The reason: Iron Sparks, an adaptive functional fitness club, is about to start training here.

Since May 2021, everyone has been welcome at the sports club: from people on the autism spectrum, wheelchair users, young people and senior citizens to athletes with prostheses and participants with Down's syndrome. A wide variety of participants are also represented here on Saturday mornings. "We come together to do sport and don't make a distinction, we simply adapt, without much fanfare, " says Sybille Blitgen, one of the two founders of Iron Sparks. Inclusion is practised in the club exactly as it is actually intended: Not as exclusive courses specifically for people with disabilities, but as an activity in which everyone can participate – keyword equity.

Focus on being together

"In English, we would talk about 'equity' instead of 'equality', meaning that everyone gets the opportunities that are adapted to their abilities and prerequisites so that we all reach the same goal, " explains Blitgen. The idea for the inclusive association came to the English teacher, who founded it together with her colleague Mandy Loes, during Covid. Blitgen's brother is autistic and never found a place in a sports club until Iron Sparks was founded. Since training with his sister and the club's volunteer coaches, his life has changed drastically: "On the one hand, he has developed a lot physiologically and motorically, but it's also the first time in his life that he has made real friends."

While "only" family members used to come to Laurent's birthday parties, other faces can now be seen there too. "It's about the social aspect, the community and the fact that you sit together, laugh and have a drink with the group after sport, " says Blitgen. At Iron Sparks, sport is defined according to its original form: as a team activity. To ensure that this works, Blitgen and Loes have spent two years taking part in training courses and exchanging ideas with others. They now pass on their knowledge and experience to the club's volunteers, but also to other interested parties on request or at workshops on the subject of sport with disabilities.