35 Your Way launching on IDSDP 2021

Virtus is the global governing body for athletes with an intellectual impairment. Virtus supervises the delivery of both summer and winter single-sport World Championships, regional multi-sport events, and the quadrennial Global Games.

Virtus is committed to enabling athletes with an intellectual impairment to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with an impairment from the beginner to the high-performance level.

Through sport, we make the invisible visible. We change attitudes, challenge perceptions and strengthen communities locally and globally. 

Our advocacy for the power of sport to change lives makes a positive contribution to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, as a founding member of the International Paralympic Committee, Virtus also promotes the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration, and equality.

35 Your Way

Around the world, as countries are going through vaccinations and some repeated waves of lockdown and restrictions, we remain in a state of uncertainty around our events. That’s why we need to stay resilient and keep finding ways to stay active, healthy, and positive about returning to live events. To do this, Virtus is asking all members to join and support our first big fundraising campaign this year – 35 Your Way.

Tuesday 6 April marks the International Day of Sport Development and Peace. This United Nations day of recognition is an annual celebration of the power of sport to drive social change, community development and to foster peace and understanding. As the world recovers from the pandemic, this day celebrates the theme of resilience and the need for sport to help communities build back better.

2021 also marks Virtus’ 35^th year following our launch in 1986. To mark the two occasions, we’re launching #35YourWay – to promote physical activity and to raise funds for Virtus.

The 35 Your Way campaign will run online challenges for athletes and fun ones for all our family and friends also. The list of challenges goes live on Virtus Facebook on 6 April – so make sure you follow us

Join the global effort

Sport and physical activity are essential to staying fit and healthy, especially during times of uncertainty and social distancing. Physical activity improves mental health, helps beat negative thoughts, lowers stress and depression, and strengthens the immune system.

#35YourWay campaign - it is a celebration of 35 years of Virtus athletes, coaches and officials, staff and volunteers, family, friends, and supporters. It is our first big fundraising effort for 2021.

Let’s support our athletes to get back into Virtus World, Regional and Global Games.

Here’s how to get involved in #35YourWay

1. Download the Playwaze app from your usual app store or sign up via the website.
2. The Registration fee is only GB£3.50 per person, per challenge. You can enter as many challenges as you want; each challenge has a GB£3.50 fee, so 3 challenges = £10.50. Record your attempt, distance, time, or total count using an activity tracking app like Strava or manually.
3. Challenge your family and friends to join in the same challenge and compete on the leaderboard.
4. Get your family, friends, and community to donate to support your challenge.
5. Blog about your attempts and your challenge on social media using the hashtag #35YourWay 

Here’s a list of Virtus 35 Your Way challenges you can join.

• Walk/Run/Swim 35km in 35 days OR Cycle/Row 350km in 35 days.
• How fast can you do 35 skipping / 35 star-jumps?
• Futsal/Football/Soccer - How many successful juggles can you do in 3.5 minutes?
• Nothin’ but Net - Basketball/Netball - How many goal shots can you do in 3.5 minutes?
• Racquet Ball - Table Tennis, Tennis, Badminton & Squash - How many ball-rally hits can you do in a 3.5 minute?

Help raise awareness for the positive contribution that sport can have on inclusion and human rights.