ATHLETES CAN PERFECTLY HARMONIZE THEIR STUDIES WITH THEIR SPORTS IN RIO MAIOR

On June 5, 2017, João Paulo Rebelo, Secretary of State for Youth and Sports inaugurated an innovative High Performance Support Unit (UAARE) at the Augusto César da Silva Ferreira High School in Rio Maior, one of the first four in the country.

The governor was accompanied by the Mayor of Rio Maior, Isaura Morais, the Councillor of Sports, Lopes Candoso, and the Director of the School, José Albino Frazão. The councilors Ana Figueiredo, Daniel Pinto and Augusto Figueiredo, the vice president of the Portuguese Institution of Youth and Sports, Vítor Pataco, and the president of the Portuguese Swimming Federation, António José Silva were also present, as well as teachers and students linked to the project. In addition, the director of the Portuguese Swimming Federation, José Sacadura, coordinator of the High Performance Training Centre of Rio Maior and the accompanying teacher UAARE ESAF Rio Maior, Luís Deus also attended this event.

This afternoon, dedicated to the High Performance Support Unit, the Learning + Study Room was also inaugurated, where Vítor Pardal, the person responsible for this national project to support the study for high performance athletes, made the framework and the presentation of this initiative.

At the Desmor Rio Maior Sports Centre, Diva Cobra, CEO of Desmor showed the facilities and services to João Paulo Rebelo and to the great number of guests.

The UAARE aims to communicate effectively between school groups, parents, sports federations and their agents, and municipalities, among other interested parties, to be able to successfully combine the school activities with the sports trainings of high school students / high performance athletes of national teams.

In Rio Maior the unit is in operation, supporting the athletes of the High Performance Swimming Centre. António José Silva "praised the excellent collaboration" between the Portuguese Swimming Federation, the High School and the High Performance Training Centre of Rio Maior, stating that "the high performance sport is not for everyone”. Therefore, the need to harmonize the education system with the trainings and competitions is an important step, so then athletes can have the chance to have dual careers. He also recalled that in Rio Maior there have been, there are and there will be swimmers competing in European and World Championships, in the Olympics, and some of them are involved in the preparation project for Tokyo 2020.