A six-day Study Visit for para swimming teaching staff, referees and coaches was successfully held in Tuheljske Toplice, Croatia, from 8–14 January 2026, within the ParaSwInclusion project.
Organised by the Croatian Para Swimming Association, the study visit brought together project partners and participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. In addition, 25 coaches from para swimming clubs across Croatia took part, representing the majority of professional para swimming staff in the country.
The programme combined theoretical lectures and practical sessions, focusing on inclusive coaching methodologies for people with disabilities, from early childhood participation to elite para swimmers competing at Paralympic, European and international levels. Special emphasis was placed on para swimming coaching, classification procedures, and refereeing in Paralympic swimming. Practical activities were conducted in both lecture halls and swimming pool facilities, enabling participants to directly apply acquired knowledge.
The study visit featured contributions from highly experienced educators, coaches, classifiers, referees, sports psychologists, biomechanical analysts and representatives of national para sport institutions. It also provided valuable insight into the organisational and financial models of para sport within the EU context, fostering knowledge transfer and strengthening regional cooperation.
The activity concluded with a joint evaluation by project partners, confirming that the study visit was delivered at a very high professional and organisational level and provided participants with practical, applicable knowledge to support inclusive para swimming development in their home countries.
