Savez za sport i rekreaciju FBIH
Training of Trainers 1 in Sarajevo and Zenica: Building Knowledge for Inclusive Sport Through Stride & Glide
As part of the Erasmus+ Sport project Stride & Glide: Empowering Journeys for All Abilities, the Federal Association for Sport and Recreation in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the first Training of Trainers - ToT 1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The training was implemented through two separate events, held on 29 May 2026 at the University of Sarajevo and on 19 June 2026 at the University of Zenica.The main goal of ToT 1 was to educate, empower, and connect trainers, professors, students, sport professionals, volunteers, and people who work directly or indirectly with persons with disabilities.
By organizing the training in two different cities and at two important universities, the project team wanted to reach a wider group of participants and create stronger links between sport, education, inclusion, and community work.During the two training days, more than 50 trainers and participants were educated on the importance of inclusive sport, adaptive physical activity, accessibility, and the use of sport as a tool for dignity, visibility, and social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Why this training matters
Persons with disabilities still face many barriers when it comes to participation in sport and physical activity. These barriers are not only physical. They are also social, educational, institutional, and psychological. Many sport facilities are still not fully accessible. Many local sport organizations do not have enough knowledge, equipment, or trained staff to include persons with disabilities in a safe, respectful, and meaningful way.
At the same time, many trainers, coaches, teachers, sport workers, and volunteers want to support inclusion, but they often do not have enough practical training or confidence to organize inclusive activities. This is one of the key challenges that the Stride & Glide project aims to address.Through ToT 1, participants had the opportunity to better understand why inclusive sport is not a separate activity, but a necessary part of modern sport systems. The message of the training was clear: sport should belong to everyone.
Training in Sarajevo - University of Sarajevo
The first Training of Trainers was held on 29 May 2026 at the University of Sarajevo, in cooperation with the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education. The Sarajevo training gathered participants from different backgrounds, including sport, education, youth work, civil society, and disability-related fields.
The event opened with introductory remarks from representatives of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education and the Federal Association for Sport and Recreation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The participants were introduced to the vision of the Stride & Glide project, its partners, planned activities, expected results, and the wider impact that the project aims to create in Bosnia and Herzegovina and partner countries.
Special attention was given to the role of universities in creating long-term change. Universities are not only places of education. They are also spaces where future trainers, teachers, researchers, and community leaders are shaped. By bringing ToT 1 to the University of Sarajevo, the project directly connected academic knowledge with practical community needs.
Training in Zenica – University of Zenica
The second Training of Trainers was held on 19 June 2026 at the University of Zenica. By organizing the second training outside Sarajevo, the project ensured that knowledge and opportunities were not concentrated only in the capital city. Zenica was an important location for this training because it allowed the project to reach new participants, local professionals, students, sport workers, and people who work with persons with disabilities in different community settings.
This approach reflects one of the core values of the Stride & Glide project: inclusion must be local, practical, and accessible to different communities.The training in Zenica created space for discussion, exchange of experiences, and reflection on how sport activities can be adapted to different needs, abilities, and environments. Participants discussed the importance of accessible sport infrastructure, trained professionals, adapted equipment, and stronger cooperation between institutions, sport clubs, universities, NGOs, and local communities.
What participants learned
During both training days, participants were introduced to the main objectives of the Stride & Glide project and the problems it aims to solve. The training covered the exclusion of persons with disabilities from regular sport and physical activity, the lack of accessible infrastructure, the need for trained coaches and volunteers, and the role of sport in fighting stigma and discrimination.
The training also presented the project’s long-term vision. Stride & Glide wants to make inclusive sport a regular practice, not a special or occasional activity. The project aims to strengthen grassroots sport organizations, improve accessibility of sport events and infrastructure, increase participation of persons with disabilities, and support the transfer of knowledge beyond the project lifetime.
Participants also learned more about the project’s planned activities, including training and education, local activities, sport events, accessibility improvements, dissemination, and sustainability. A special part of the training was dedicated to adaptive sport equipment and its future use in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants were introduced to equipment that can support hiking, running, swimming, beach, and pool activities for persons with disabilities.
Looking ahead
The successful implementation of Training of Trainers 1 in Sarajevo and Zenica is an important milestone for the project. It showed that there is strong interest, motivation, and need for this type of education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the next phases, the project will continue with additional training activities, local workshops, sport events, and practical actions that will bring inclusive sport closer to persons with disabilities and the communities around them.Stride & Glide continues with one clear message:
More than education – a step toward systemic change
Training of Trainers 1 was not only an educational activity. It was a starting point for creating a wider network of people who can promote inclusive sport in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The training helped participants understand that inclusion in sport requires more than goodwill. It requires knowledge, planning, communication, accessible spaces, appropriate equipment, and continuous cooperation between different sectors. Trainers and sport professionals have a key role in this process because they are the people who can open the door to participation for many persons with disabilities.
By educating more than 50 trainers and participants in Sarajevo and Zenica, the project created a strong foundation for future local activities and sport events. The trained participants will be able to use the knowledge gained through ToT 1 in their work with persons with disabilities, sport clubs, schools, universities, NGOs, and community initiatives.
About Stride & Glide
Stride & Glide: Empowering Journeys for All Abilities is an Erasmus+ Sport project focused on making sport and recreation more accessible for persons with disabilities. The project promotes inclusive participation in activities such as running, hiking, swimming, and outdoor recreation.The project brings together partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Montenegro, and Austria. The partner organizations include the Federal Association for Sport and Recreation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Verlab Institute, Sports Embassy from Portugal, RegSpo from Montenegro, and ACTIVE from Austria.
Through education, adaptive equipment, sport events, local activities, and awareness raising, Stride & Glide aims to build more inclusive sport systems and create sustainable opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in physical activity and community life.