Interview: Argentine Paralympic athlete stresses healing power of sports

BUENOS AIRES, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Argentine Paralympic Alpine skier Enrique Plantey, who placed fourth in the men's giant slalom at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, stressed that sports helped him get ahead and socialize.

"Sport does a lot of good, and it helps you to get out of the house, to socialize. It's a great excuse to be active and it was a great path that I took when I had the accident," he said, referring to a road crash that left him paralyzed at a young age.

Today people with disabilities are encouraged to go out into the street and actively form part of society, he added.

"I never felt any kind of discrimination. Since I became disabled at the age of 11, I has been lucky to live in an environment that accepted my condition," said Plantey.

Plantey also said he enjoyed his experience in Beijing.

China was really very good at organizing such a large-scale event and fomenting a positive atmosphere that helped everything go smoothly, he said.

"I was very struck by the good vibes of the volunteers. They were very helpful and I really liked the Olympic Village, I found it super comfortable and the facilities are spectacular," said the native of the Patagonian province of Neuquen.

Speaking via Zoom from the Spanish city of Marbella, where he is on vacation, Plantey said organizers and volunteers "really put their nose to the grindstone."

"I really liked how the event was organized and how good they made us feel," said the 39-year-old athlete.

The veteran has competed in three Paralympic Games in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

The next Paralympic Winter Games will be held in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2026.