Pandemic Positivity: IMAS Launches New Video Series

IMAS is helping to break down barriers and inspire positivity during the pandemic

IMAS (International Mixed Ability Sports) trainers have all experienced barriers to participation even before Covid-19. During the pandemic they worked hard to find new ways to socialise, stay connected and keep active.

IMAS want to share this ingenuity and positivity with others, so everyone can see the importance of community and sense of belonging, especially in these difficult times. There are so many negative impacts being shared that IMAS thought it was time to spotlight positive lockdown stories!

Several of IMAS’s trainers with disabilities highlight the ways they have found to keep themselves physically active; the positive impact that being part of our community has had on their mental health and ability to cope with the concerns they have during the current health crisis.

These videos are being released weekly as part of our Pandemic Positivity series, starting today with Tom.

Tom’s Story – click here to view
“It’s not the physical side…it’s the mental side I found hard”
“I need to go out. I cannot be cooped up at home…I just can’t do it”

So that as many people as possible can see the videos, IMAS are asking for your help to share them with your networks. These videos will be on their social media channels; Katrina & Rupert’s stories will follow in subsequent weeks.

Covid-19 continues to impact disproportionately on Disabled people in particular with regard to physical activity. 40% of Disabled people are inactive (do less than 30 mins of activity each week) compared to 21% of non-Disabled people. (Source: Sport England, Active Lives 2018-19). In the current times, it’s important that sport keeps playing its positive role. Too often, sport equates with performance, or is seen as the prerogative of elite athletes or established majorities. IMAS see things differently. Mixed Ability Sport is breaking down physical, mental and societal barriers, creating opportunities and a voice for marginalised communities to challenge the established status quo.