Department of Special Physical Education holds sports event in commemoration of the 'Day for the Disabled'
Disabled youths from four high schools in Daegu experienced archery and indoor sculling
[April 18, 2011]
One day before the '30th Day for the Disabled', in the morning of the 19th, a very special sports event to bring down the walls between the disabled and non-disabled was held at Yeungnam University.
The Yeungnam University Department of Special Physical Education (dean Kim, Han-cheol) invited disabled youths and instructors in the Daegu area and held a sports event for experiencing archery and indoor sculling.
The YU Department of Special Physical Education has held events every year for the 'Day for the Disabled' by inviting disabled youths of the region. As part of this, this year about 50 mentally-challenged youths and about 20 autistic youths from four special schools in Daegu (Daejin High School, Hamji High School, Dowon High School, Daegu Electronic Technical High School) were invited to the YU Archery Center that was opened in June of last year.
Park, Yong-ho (53, male), an eight-degree holder who is currently active in the Traditional Archery Team of Ulsan, and other noted bowmen demonstrated the stance, how to hold the arrow, and how to pull the string. They shot an arrow and hit their target 145 meters away, causing awes from the audience.
Chae, Seong-gyeong (27), a teacher at the Chilgok Hamji High School who attended the event, said, "Sports activities are opportunities for disabled youths to gain a sense of independence and confidence, and is thus an opportunity for a different education that will help them adapt to society," and added, "This event, which is also a chance for exchange among the four schools, is expected to arouse more interest among students for 'traditional archery', and result in more active participation."
Professor Thomas Duvernay (50) of the YU College of Liberal Arts also attended this event. Professor Duvernay, who is well known as an avid fan of traditional Korean archery and also nicknamed the 'blue-eyed Jumong', stated, "Traditional archery can be enjoyed by anybody, regardless of disabilities, with practice. It not only improves health, but also can uplift a person's spirit," and added, "I am very happy to be able to share the experience of archery, which is a tradition of the Korean people, together with both disabled and non-disabled people."
Following the archery experience, another event for improving the mental and physical health of disabled youths through indoor sculling was held at the College of Education's rehabilitation training center.
Kim, Han-cheol, dean of the Department of Special Physical Education, who hosted this event, stated, "30 undergraduate students of the Department of Special Physical Education prepared for this event as volunteers, despite being the middle of mid-terms so that disabled youths could experience the traditional martial arts of archery at Apryangbeol, which was a training center for young warriors in the past." He also added, "This is becoming a site for true character-building that is destroying the walls between the disabled and non-disabled."
