Intent and Openness
The Story of a Joint Training Session with Visually Impaired People
Inclusion doesn’t begin when a training session starts. It begins much earlier. With an introduction. With a conversation. With the first questions. With curiosity. And with a genuine desire to understand the other person.
We met on such a moving occasion at the Veszprém Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the coaches who joined our program. At first glance, it might have seemed as if two completely different worlds had come together in the same room. After a few minutes, however, we were no longer sitting across from each other as guests and coaches, but as people united by the same goal: to find that common path along which we could move forward together.
We talked about which sports each of us represents, what experiences we bring to the table, and what fears, questions, or visions we have. As the needs and possibilities were articulated one by one, cooperation began to take shape almost imperceptibly. This is exactly what inclusion means. It doesn’t mean that one person adapts to another, but rather that we work together to find a solution that works for everyone.
In the Veszprém–Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 program, we work with coaches who have already acquired the fundamental professional knowledge required for inclusive training sessions. However, this is just the starting point. True knowledge is gained through face-to-face meetings. As a sports ambassador, my role is to facilitate these encounters: to build relationships between coaches andwith various disabilities or health issues, because I believe that practice is the most important part of any training.
Occasions like these also remind us that no two people are alike. A disability alone does not determine what someone is capable of. The severity of the disability varies, as do life paths, the process of coming to terms with it, and individual needs. That is why there is no ready-made solution. Every community must learn together how to truly become inclusive.
Working with visually impaired participants has provided a wealth of lessons. The coaches quickly realized that they couldn’t demonstrate an exercise in the usual way here. The movements had to be broken down using precise, clear verbal instructions, since visual imitation was of no help. We even had to pay attention to minute details that perhaps no one would think of during a traditional training session.
The teamwork began even before the training session. It was important to familiarize ourselves with the venue, discuss the layout of the area, and jointly determining the information points. At first glance, these may seem like insignificant details, but in fact, they provide the sense of security upon which a carefree training session can be built.
Coaches specializing in sensitivity training participated, and through them, track and field, swimming, aerobics, senior gymnastics, and several functional training methods were represented. Everyone could ask questions related to their own sport and receive answers directly from the visually impaired participants. It’s hard to imagine a more authentic learning experience than this.
After the discussion, we hopped on spinning bikes and together put into practice everything we’d been talking about. It was great to see the relaxed smiles, the concentration, and then that moment when everyone simply became training partners.
It was an uplifting feeling. After the event, I found myself thinking about how much goes into a joint training session like this. Professional knowledge. Preparation. Trust. Patience.
But above all, two things.
Intent and openness.
If you have those, the rest can be learned together.