A small British charity founded at the London 2012 Paralympic Games will be providing over 1,000 items of kit to Paralympians from developing nations in time for the Rio Paralympic Games, which starts in a few days. Kit Us Out, which also supported Para Athletes at the Glasgow Commonwealth games in 2014, will be donating everything from swimming trunks to running spikes to competitors from countries including Ghana, Laos, Namibia and El Salvador.
Kit Us Out is delighted to be supporting the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) during the Rio Paralympic Games. We will be based in Rio for the duration of the Games working directly with relevant athletes and coaches who need our support. In the run up to the Games we have already been working with athletes from across the globe (including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Laos, Mongolia, Liberia, Nicaragua, Namibia, Cuba, El Salvador and others) to highlight and source key kit and equipment. At present we have pulled together over 1,000 items, from swimming trunks to sprint spikes and running kits to powerlifting suits. Our founder will be bringing these and additional items out to Rio for the start of the Games of the 7th September. British Airways has kindly agreed to transport this kit out there for us. We have also put funding in place to enable the purchase of kit for when we are on the ground in Rio, to help ensure we are able to meet any additional needs for athletes on their arrival.
At Kit Us Out we strongly believe that funding for basic kit should never be a barrier to success and we have seen over recent years the real impact that correct kit and equipment can make to an athlete. Although it is deeply concerning to see the issue around funding for the Rio Paralympic Games, the IPC is doing a fantastic job to help ensure the Games are a success and we will be doing all we can to support them and the athletes attending the Rio Games through the provision of kit.
I am very proud that we are working with the IPC and I feel deeply honored that through the kind generosity of the public we are in a position to support Para athletes from developing nations in the run up to and during the Paralympics. We are a very small charity, but thanks to the amazing support of the media and public we are able to continue towards our goal of levelling the playing field in Para sport. - Alex Mitchell, Founder, Kit Us Out.
As we have seen, there is sadly a very serious funding issue regarding the Rio Paralympic Games, this makes the work of Kit Us Out even more important to ensure that those athletes from developing nations that make the Games, have the right kit and equipment and are able to take part and perform at their very best.
Donate: http://kitusout.org/#donate
Donate via text: Text PARA16 followed by the amount they want to donate (e.g. PARA16 £5) to 70070
Kit Us Out profile
Kit Us Out is a charity that supports Para athletes from developing nations by buying them key items of competition level kit and equipment. A large number of Para athletes from developing nations have little or no funding and find it extremely hard to purchase competition level kit to compete in major national and international competitions, including the Paralympic Games. This is where Kit Us Out steps in. Kit Us Out is a small charity, All of the charity's running, admin and logistic costs are met by the founder and our corporate partners, which enables 100% of all donations to go directly to athletes who are in need of our support. Kit Us Out started life during the London 2012 Paralympic Games, a journey which continued to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and now to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The charity is also starting to work towards the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London and the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.
For more information contact:
Alex Mitchell, Founder +44 (0)7810 896988 alex@kitusout.org
