Alberto Valenzuela, Lima 2019 Operations Manager, Julie Dussliere, president of the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC), and Lucha Villar, president of the National Paralympic Association of Peru, were at the closing ceremony of the Parapan American Chefs de Mission Seminar and said a few words.
“These games seek to make a change in peoples’ lives, and the work you are doing by devoting some days to come to this city is part of this change. We feel supported. For us, it is very important that these games are being held in Lima,” said Valenzuela .
On the other hand, Dussliere was also pleased with the seminar’s outcome and invited sports leaders to maintain close communication with the Lima 2019 team.
“I hope you have enjoyed your two-day stay here in Lima visiting the venues and attending the Organizing Committee presentations, to obtain key information you can use to help in the preparation of your NPCs for the Games. Enjoy Lima!,” she said.
Villar also congratulated the work done so far and encouraged the leaders to regain energy for the Games’ opening, which will be held next August 23.
“I am so happy to have witnessed your interest during these days, and that you can see that Lima 2019 is about to happen. Be able to know what is coming, so close that you can almost feel it. Have a safe journey home! We will be waiting for you to come back in August,” Lucha Villar added.
The Chefs de Mission Seminar brought together almost 30 sports leader out of 33 National Paralympic Committees (NPC) from the American participating countries in the Parapan American Games.
In this seminar, various meetings and exchanges between the Chefs de Mission and the Lima 2019 team were carried out, as well as visits to the main competition and accommodation venues such as Villa El Salvador Sports Center, Pan American and Parapan American Village, Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center, VIDENA, Callao Callao Regional Village and National Stadium.
The sports leaders were really impressed by the Pan American and Parapan American Village, where they were able to visit some of the apartments (548 of them of 70 m2, 212 of 73 m2 and 336 of 75 m2 will be accessible), the four elevators in each building with a capacity for up to 18 people and wheelchair access, Braille signage and tactile paving already installed.