Umi Hope Foundation Hosts '2023 Basic Sports Winter Camp'

On the 5th, Umi Hope Foundation announced that it held the '2023 Basic Winter Sports Camp' in Gangneung and Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, for 4 nights and 5 days starting from the 30th of last month, in collaboration with the Korea Paralympic Committee.

Commemorative photo of the 2023 Basic Sports Winter Camp. [Photo by Woomi Construction]

The 2023 Basic Winter Sports Camp is an event where promising athletes with disabilities can experience Paralympic sports. Focusing on winter para sports (Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, snowboard, para ice hockey, wheelchair curling), the camp featured various programs including ▲ground training (weight training) ▲national team mentoring special lectures ▲cultural experiences ▲recovery (yoga), and more.

The grand prize of this camp was awarded to Kim Youngbin (20 years old, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province), and the excellence awards went to Oh Hyunsoo (17 years old, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province) and Noh Younghoon (11 years old, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi Province). Scholarships will be provided to the selected athletes.

The Basic Winter Sports Camp expanded from the previous two snow sports to five snow and ice sports with the sponsorship of Umi Hope Foundation, and newly established psychological and emotional development support and cultural arts programs for youth students.

Meanwhile, in August, a Basic Summer Sports Camp was also held where 36 promising athletes with disabilities participated and experienced various sports of the summer Paralympic events.

Lee Chunseok, Secretary General of Umi Hope Foundation, said, “The hot sweat shed by the young athletes during the cold winter will be an excellent nourishment for their future growth,” and added, “We will continue to expand support so that they can pursue bigger dreams in better environments.”