Athlete preparation in developing countries

Watch the video and listen to this moving story of two para athletes and their coach preparing for a major sports event. And, look through the eyes of an Australian coach who has seen athlete preparation in developed and developing countries first hand.

Competing at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

Dephnny Naliupis, her team-mate Friana, and their coach Doriane reside in a small village on a remote island of Vanuatu in the Pacific. Dephnny and Friana represented Vanuatu at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. It was their first major sports event, yet sports science and sport technology remained as strange terms to them and were clearly absent from their training and preparation.

Coaching and training

Occasionally, expert coaching appears in Vanuatu but then disappears without the transfer of knowledge to local coaches or planning for the future. Dephnie and Frianna describe their preparation more like survival rather than a precisely designed and organised training program. For coach Doriane, the opportunity for “her girls” to participate in a major sports event is something of a dream. Throughout this week, you will hear from her about how sport has changed the lives of people in her community.

Support from an Australian coach

In the video you heard from expert track and field coach, Chris Nunn OAM, who is from Australia. He provides his account of working with para athletes from developing countries and provides a raw and detailed view of what it is like for these girls, as athletes and as members of their community.

It is clear that the preparation of athletes in developing countries is vastly different from those who live in developed countries.

Your task

Share any knowledge or experience you have of sport in developing countries in the comments below.