Indonesian Para-Athlete Activist Receives Appreciation from IPC President
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian para-athlete advocate Natalia Tjahja has received recognition from the President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Andrew Parsons, for her efforts to promote inclusion for athletes with disabilities through the 100 Celebrities Talk for Para Athletes (100 CTFP) movement.
Natalia said the movement she initiated together with the Maria Monique Last Wish Foundation (MMLWF) continues to grow because it carries a message of equality and the role of sport in changing society’s view of people with disabilities.
“What began as a simple message of support has grown into a global movement carrying values of compassion, inclusion and hope,” Natalia told ANTARA in a text message in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to her, every expression of support from various parties strengthens the belief that sport can be a means of uniting communities and creating social change.
The IPC President expressed his support for 100 CTFP and MMLWF, saying the movement’s vision aligns with the IPC’s goal of building inclusive sport.
“It is an honour to support 100 CTFP and the Maria Monique Last Wish Foundation because our vision is the same as the IPC’s vision,” Parsons said.
Natalia is the only figure who is neither an athlete nor a sports official to be included on the list of individuals recognised for their contribution to the international Paralympic movement.
Whilst the other figures recognised come from backgrounds as Paralympic athletes, government officials, sports organisation leaders or executives, Natalia built the movement as a private citizen through a social initiative.
Among the figures recognised by the IPC President are Carla Qualtrough and Karen O’Neil from Canada, Deepa Malik from India, Luka Vilar Galvez from Peru, Penny Briscoe CBE from the United Kingdom, Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva from Uzbekistan, and Zakia Khudadadi from Afghanistan.
Andrew Parsons, who leads the IPC encompassing 185 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) worldwide, has also conveyed the 100 CTFP message at various international forums as a form of support for the campaign.
The 100 CTFP movement has so far involved 637 international figures from various fields, ranging from sport, government and business to music, culture and philanthropy.
The 100 CTFP campaign was launched in Singapore through collaboration with the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF), the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), NPC Singapore, Ital Auto Ferrari Singapore, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore, and the Ferrari Owners Club Singapore.