Participants in the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program visited the regional adaptive sports center.

      September 26, 2025 13:48 Sports

      Participants of the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program made an orientation visit to the Parus adaptive sports center, which specializes in adaptive and rehabilitative sports practices for people with disabilities, including participants of the special military operation.

      The event took place as part of the traineeship of program participants at the Ministry of Sports of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Defenders of the Fatherland foundation. During the visit, guests familiarized themselves with the center's infrastructure, spoke with coaches and athletes, and received detailed information about the physical and social rehabilitation programs implemented at Parus. Special attention was paid to opportunities to train in disciplines such as powerlifting, arm wrestling, adaptive sambo, sledge hockey, and paratriathlon.

      Ekaterina Generalova, head of the Nizhny Novgorod Region branch of the state fund for supporting participants of the SVO "Defenders of the Fatherland," who is a mentor to a participant in the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" project, noted the high significance of the visit.

      "Alexander Minov, whom I serve as a mentor to in the 'Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region' program, was glad to have the opportunity to learn about the work of the Parus center. Studying rehabilitative practices is one of his priorities; he strives to understand what resources are currently available to SVO participants in our region. Such meetings not only inform but also inspire active participation in society," said Ekaterina Generalova.

      Parus staff demonstrated an integrated approach to rehabilitation, combining physical training, psychological support, and patriotic education. Project participants also visited the training halls and spoke with SVO veterans who have already joined the center's sports programs.

      "The Parus adaptive sports center in Dzerzhinsk aggregates information about all adaptive sports in the region and about opportunities for free sports activities for SVO participants and their family members. Project participants learned about the center's work and took part in master classes in water polo, arm wrestling, and sport knife-throwing. The 'Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region' project opens up opportunities for implementation in many areas. Today the project participants saw that in sport the possibilities are limitless," said Dmitry Kabaylo, Minister of Sports of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      As previously reported, the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program is aimed at integrating and employing veterans of the special military operation into the public administration system. In March 2025, an agreement was signed between the government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, RANEPA, and KUPNO on cooperation to implement this program. Registration for participation in it ended on March 31: during the selection campaign, 1,613 applications were received from Nizhny Novgorod residents.

      Based on the total points from questionnaires, testing, online interviews and assessment, as well as on the results of in-person interviews with the Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Andrey Gneushev, 60 participants were selected for the main educational program and 30 people for inclusion in the next cohort of the program upon their return to the region.

      On August 4, 2025, the official opening of the training under the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program took place; the ceremony was attended by the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Gleb Nikitin. Sixty people selected to participate in the educational program began their training.

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999–2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain 18+ materials.