A tide of transformation is sweeping through the Paralympic movement in the Americas, and at its forefront stands Antoine Francis, General Secretary of the Jamaica Paralympic Association’s Athletes’ Commission and para-archer.
Fresh from an inaugural athletes’ forum hosted by the Americas Paralympic Committee (AmPC), Francis is calling on Caribbean and regional athletes to unite in purpose, collaboration, and advocacy.
A forum of ideas, a future of possibilities
Held in Santiago and supported by the Chilean Paralympic Committee, Chile’s Ministry of Sports, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the ground-breaking forum welcomed over 40 athlete representatives from across the Americas. It served as a catalyst for regional dialogue and a celebration of diversity in unity.
“The forum provided insight for like-minded individuals who, despite the different languages, were unified in spirit and purpose to ensure persons with impairments are being given a chance,” Francis reflected. “It was an explosion of ideas as to how we can develop and improve para-athletes and invest in them so that together we can continue to make our respective countries proud.”
His words underscored a shared ambition: to elevate para-athletes beyond boundaries of geography, language, or disability.
Jamaica is at the table – now it’s time to act
Francis’ message wasn’t just reflective—it was a rallying cry. For him, representation is only the beginning.
“Jamaica is at the table,” he declared. “And it’s for us to now engage, in a real way, schools, parents, public and private institutions and the wider community in empowering extraordinary persons to realize their awesome potential for growth.”
His vision is rooted in cultural reformation—a call to recognize differently abled persons not by their challenges, but by their strength, agency, and aspirations.
“We are at the table to be seen and heard not with an impairment, but as abled persons,” he emphasized.
Building a legacy through athlete voice and leadership
The Santiago forum was no ceremonial gathering. It was a strategic milestone for the Americas Paralympic Committee, aligning with its core policy of athlete empowerment. As athletes took center stage, they were no longer just competitors—they became co-architects of the region’s sporting future.
Christopher Samuda, President of the Jamaica Paralympic Association and board director of AmPC, offered a stirring affirmation of this direction.
“The athletes are the pith and kernel of who we are and why we breathe sport,” Samuda said. “Our vision is to create joint ownership of this sporting asset—the Americas Paralympic Committee—of which my colleague directors and I are custodians. The mission is to give them the keys to unlock their aspirations and open wide their ambition to grasp greatness.”
The Americas’ apex paralympic body at work
The Americas Paralympic Committee governs national Paralympic associations across North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. It owns and organizes the Parapan American Games and Junior Games, held every four years, and remains committed to embedding athlete voices into the sport’s political and developmental architecture.
Athlete forums such as this are designed to be high-level working sessions, not symbolic gatherings. Their aims are multifaceted:
- Elevate athlete participation in decision-making
- Safeguard rights, welfare, and health
- Champion representation
- Educate and reframe public perceptions of disability
As Francis poignantly summed up, “The forum is about securing, in and out of sports, the voice and future of persons who are differently abled and re-educating the public.”
From the vibrant discussions in Santiago to policy shifts across the region, a new era of Paralympic advocacy is taking root—one where Jamaica is proudly present, passionately engaged, and powerfully positioned.
