By Nick Butler

The Para snow sport circuit aims to introduce more youngsters to the sport as well as to improve those already involved © IPCNovember 15 - Opportunities for over 50 aspiring Winter Paralympians will be provided at the third International Paralympic Committee (IPC) European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit, which opens this Sunday (November 17) in Landgraaf.


As part of the IPC's partnership with the Agitos Foundation, participants aged between 10 and 17 from five countries will attend a camp where they will learn and practice the skills they need for alpine skiing, snowboarding and Nordic skiing.

They will also attend workshops on anti-doping, while their coaches will take sessions on sports psychology.

Organised by the IPCwith funding from the European Union, the 18 month long Youth Circuit is taking in destinations considered among the best for skiing in Europe.

At January's first camp, attendees enjoyed the same slopes as the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in La Molina, Spain, while they also competed in Rogla in Italy.

Participants in an earlier youth sport circuit event in Rogla in Italy © IPCParticipants take to the snow at the earlier youth sport circuit event in Rogla © IPC






Future events will take place in Germany's Ski Area Gotschen in Bischofwiesen while the fifth and final camp will be staged in the Italian resort of Sestriere which also staged the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.

Sylvana Mestre, chairman of the IPC Alpine Skiing Sport Technical Committee, explained the advantages that the project is creating for aspiring youngsters, as well as plans for future years. 

"After the first two camps in Spain and Slovenia this year, we can be confident that this project is an incredible success," he explained. 

"The first youth camp we organised of any sort was in 2006 in Deux Alps and graduates have included World and Paralympic champions.

"We will not stop here.

"As well as continuing to invest in the development of alpine skiing, we have further projects in the pipeline for the 2014-2015 season, so that more young people who have been inspired by their idols at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games can aim for the same success."

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