Armenians sail what were thought to be impossible waters

These kind of stories resulted in me establishing the Armenian National Disabled Sports Federation (ANDSF), which has helped thousands of people with impairments to get integrated in society through sport.

It all started when I got an invitation for the first World Disabled Sailing Championships in 1994.

I was the coach of the youth sailing team of Armenia back then. I found a few young boys of 14-15 years who acquired an impairment after the earthquake in 1988 in Spitak and we started training.

After three months of intense training, a tough hunt for finances, astonishing trip with a lot of difficulties and challenges, we made it to the Championships. Long story short, that team finished 11th out of 20 teams at the event.

On the first day of the meet, they didn't even know where the start was, and on the last day they came first in the race. They stuck with this sport for many years, participating in various Championships and in the Paralympics. They gained confidence in themselves and overcame the idea of being dependent on somebody else because of their impairments.

Even now, this sport is a huge part of their lives Just one call from me is enough for them to stop what they’re doing and come to participate in any kind of competition.

Armenia has sent a total of 11 athletes to the Paralympics in its history – six of which were my students.

The success of this team encouraged me to keep working with people with impairments and a lot of interesting stories were to come (the story of me teaching sailing to a person with a visual impairment at night, skiing with only one leg with an amputee, sailing without using hands and so on).

These kind of stories resulted in me establishing the Armenian National Disabled Sports Federation (ANDSF), which has helped thousands of people with impairments to get integrated in society through sport.

Through these events, camps and so on, this organisation has changed and is still changing the lives of many.