The “ParticiYou” Adaptive Rock Climbing Experience held during the Cyprus Rock Climbing Festival 2025 delivered a clear message that disabled and non-disabled individuals don’t need to be “included”. They need equal access to spaces designed for them. When those spaces exist, they climb, they lead, and they excel, like any athlete.

This session, was organised by RESET and was included in the Cyprus Rock Climbing Festival 2025 programme. The Cyprus Rock Climbing Festival (CRCF) 2025 took place between October 17-19, 2025, at the Ineia climbing field. The organization of the festival was undertaken by the NGO Active Zone Outdoor, with its technical organizing committee comprising specialized climbing instructors. However, this session demonstrated how sport changes when inclusion is built into the foundations. When accessibility is a starting point, discussions about “adaptations,” “access,” or “opportunity” naturally fade. People participate fully because the environment allows them to.

"It’s really important to raise awareness about adaptive exercise training especially in climbing and outdoor sports so that everyone can feel included and supported. As climbing instructors in Cyprus, we’re committed to developing our skills and helping the sport become more inclusive and accessible, said Panayiotis Loizou, certified climbing instructor, and Project Manager/Proposal Writer at RESET."

Yet Cyprus still lacks regular, structured, and well-supported adaptive sports programs. Outdoor recreation remains dominated by able-bodied norms, and disabled athletes are often expected to “fit in” to systems that were never designed with them in mind.

The event highlighted several priorities for change:

• Design outdoor activities with accessibility from the start.

• Provide proper training and support systems so instructors and volunteers can confidently work with athletes of all abilities.

• Build environments that prioritise safety, communication, and shared leadership over competition-driven efficiency.

• Normalise collaboration between disabled and non-disabled athletes; inclusive design benefits all.

Community sport is one of the strongest drivers of well-being. It builds confidence, connection, health, and a sense of belonging; universal needs shared by all people. For many disabled individuals, these needs go unmet simply because recreational spaces were not designed with them in mind.

The experience at the festival showed what is possible when we choose accessibility over excuses. When climbing, hiking, and outdoor activities are built for everyone, the entire community benefits. Barriers fall, new leaders emerge, and the sport becomes richer, safer, and more human.

The activity was funded by the EU through the ParticiYou project, which aims to empower disabled youth by encouraging their active participation in sports and community activities, promoting inclusion, and improving accessibility.

ParticiYou Website: https://particiyou.eu/ 

ParticiYou Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/particiyou_project/ 

by Panayiotis Loizou, Project Manager/Proposal Writer at RESET