Para sport taster sessions, top entertainment and a cameo by the 'Armless Archer': What to expect on Paralympic Day 2023 in Paris
Place de la Republique is the place to be on 8 October as Paralympic medallists introduce guests to Para sports and set the stage for a spectacle to remember. And if last year's inaugural edition is anything to go by, Paralympic Day 2023 promises to be even bigger.
Want to make a slam dunk from a wheelchair, attempt an ippon while wearing a blindfold, or meet an athlete who hits the bullseye by shooting arrows with his feet?
Paralympic Day 2023 is set to check off all the boxes and more.
Held in the French capital on Sunday, 8 October, Paralympic Day is an annual celebration of Para sport where visitors not only get to meet famous Paralympians but also try the sports and enjoy world-class entertainment.
Read on to find out more about this year's event.
Paralympic Day 2023: Paris marks the spot
The 2023 edition will mark the second time that Paralympic Day is held in Paris. While last year’s inaugural edition took place in the revolutionary Place de la Bastille, another iconic venue will serve as the backdrop in 2023 - Place de la Republique.
Activities will get underway at 11 a.m. and unfold around the towering bronze statue of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic and one of the symbols included in the Paris 2024 logo.
Last year’s event attracted as many as 40,000 people and, given that even more activities are planned, Paralympic Day 2023 looks likely to break that record.
Paralympic Day 2023: A packed agenda
Paralympic Day is both a showcase of the best in Para sports and also a chance for people of all ages to try out the sports themselves.
The 14 sports featured at Place de la Republique include some of the 22 sports that will be contested at the upcoming Paralympic Games in a year's time: Para athletics, Para badminton, blind football, boccia, Para judo, Para rowing, shooting Para sport, sitting volleyball, Para table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.
Visitors will also get to see some sports that are not part of the Paralympic Games programme. These include adaptive skateboarding, virtual reality Para canoeing and Para handball.
Meet and greet: Star Paralympians headline the day
While Para archery is not one of the sports to be showcased at this Paralympic Day, one of the sport's biggest stars, Matt Stutzman of the United States, is set to make a guest appearance. Dubbed the "Armless Archer", the Paralympic silver medallist is known for his unique archery technique where he releases arrows using only his legs and feet.
Numerous French Para athletes will also attend the festivities and share their stories with spectators. These include Paralympic medallists Ugo Didier, Michael Jeremiasz, Ronan Pallier, Charles Rozoy, and Loic Vergnaud.
They will be joined on stage by double Olympic swimming champion Alain Bernard and Paris 2024 track and field hopeful Sasha Zhoya.
Want more Paralympic sport?
The celebrations at Place de la Republique are the perfect way to wet the appetite ahead of next year's Paralympic feast. And Para sports fans will not have to wait long before they can fulfil their cravings - this year's Paralympic Day is held 24 hours before tickets for the next Paralympic Games go on sale.
Available across all sports, 2.8 million tickets will go on sale on Monday, 9 October with almost half of the tickets to be sold for EUR25 or less.