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The opening ceremony of the Paralympic embankment on Wednesday on the banks of the Neris brought together Paralympic athletes, the sports community of the country, the leaders of the capital and the country.
The renovated space on Olimpiečių Street was decorated with an acorn sculpture of the Paralympic symbol “Caught Wind” and commemorative plaques for the country’s athletes who won medals at the Paralympic Games.
2016 Mindaugas Bilius, champion of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and president of the Lithuanian Paralympic Committee, emphasized that this was a historic moment.
“The victories of the Paralympics are the victories of the whole of Lithuania. The appearance of such an object is a great and important achievement for all of us.
We speak out loud about people with disabilities, their powers, the inspiration they bring. Now the Paralympic embankment talks about that too. I believe that this cozy space will become a favorite of Vilnius residents and city guests. They will be able to rest here and gain new strength, inspiration to pursue their dreams, no matter how distant they may seem at times, ”said M. Bilius.
The authors of the project’s artistic idea, Vaiva and Vidas Simanavičiai, said that the work “Caught Wind” was conceived in such a way that the sculptural forms would change when viewed from different angles. From the symbol of the Paralympics, the acorn, it becomes a human figure or a mantle blown by the wind, the flow of a river. It invites you to feel that only by moving forward, it is possible to see new horizons, new meanings.
“The implementation of the idea has paid off: the reactions of the spectators confirm that the sculpture evokes thoughts about the force that rotates within a person, the potential that flows outward,” the artists rejoiced.
Paralympic embankment: fully adapted and accessible for people with visual and mobility disabilities. The monument has inscriptions in Braille and access for people with reduced mobility is guaranteed.
A total of 27 medals on the Paralympic embankment: commemorative plaques, a place for the commemoration of future champions and award winners.
Seimas spokesperson Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, who participated in the event, was happy with the three bronze medals won by the Paralympians in Tokyo. After these games, the names of three more Lithuanians were added to the list of winners.
“Paralympic athletes constantly delight sports fans with great achievements and defend the honor of Lithuania. This was perfectly demonstrated by the recent Paralympic Games in Tokyo. I am happy that a space has emerged in the capital that commemorates the great achievements of athletes with disabilities and that perhaps inspires them to pursue small daily victories. Let the strongest oaks in Lithuania grow from a shallow depth, ”said the Seimas Spokesperson.
The project was implemented with the funds and partners of the Lithuanian Paralympic Committee, with the support of the Municipality of Vilnius. For the fourth year in a row, the Lithuanian community of Rotary clubs that communicate with LPAK raised funds for the project during the annual Rotary Games.
“The determination, the will and the perseverance of the Lithuanian Paralympic athletes have repeatedly shown that the greatest challenge in life is to overcome our own limits and then we can be as far ahead as you would have ever dared to dream of,” said Evaldas Vaineikis . Rotary district governor of the country.
