Reggeborgh Foundation and FBK Games join forces to strengthen Paralympic athletics

Thanks to the collaboration between Reggeborgh Foundation and FBK Games, the main programme of the FBK Games will be expanded with three Paralympic events:

• Women's shot put (class F40) – featuring Paralympic champion Lara Baars, among others
  
• Men's long jump (class T61 to T64) – featuring Paralympic champion and world record holder Joël de Jong, among others
  
• Women's 100 metres (class T13 and T61 to T64) – featuring multiple Paralympic champion Fleur Jong, among others

Reggeborgh Foundation, known for its involvement with the Reggeborgh speed skating team and as the main sponsor of FC Twente Women's football club, is committed to a healthy future for everyone through Corporate Social Responsibility. The foundation does this by investing in equal opportunities in sport, among other things. The seed for the partnership with para-athletics was actually planted years ago, after reading an article in the newspaper. Inge Wessels of the Reggeborgh Foundation explains: "In it, my sister read about an initiative for an Olympic park around the FBK stadium, where Olympic champions were allowed to plant their own tree. However, Paralympic champions had to share one tree between three of them. We found that remarkable and unfair. It motivated us even more to work towards equality in sport. Para-athletes show that you can turn a disability into a strength, that you can achieve ultimate goals despite challenges and participate fully in society. We think it's fantastic to support this – especially at such a beautiful international sporting event as the FBK Games in our own region of Twente, where everything comes together."

The FBK Games is the largest international athletics event in the Netherlands and has Gold status within the World Athletics Continental Tour. The competition is one of the top 20 athletics meetings worldwide. Inclusivity is an important core value. For example, the prize money for men and women has been equal for years, and the organisation actively works to make the event accessible to all target groups – for example, by making tickets available in collaboration with the municipality of Hengelo. Hans Kloosterman, meeting director of the FBK Games: ‘Thanks to the collaboration with the Reggeborgh Foundation, we can offer an integrated programme in which Paralympic events receive full attention.’

Lara Baars is looking forward to the FBK Games: ‘I'm really looking forward to it! I've been there once as a spectator and I already loved the atmosphere. It can only be even better when you're out there on the field yourself.’