Inclusive climbing in Munich: Together high without pressure to perform!

Inclusive climbing in Munich: Together high without pressure to perform!

In the Munich-Thalkirchen climbing center you will find one of the most remarkable initiatives for including movement sports: the climbing group "I want to go up there!". Here children climb together on the walls of the bouldering room with and without disabilities. While some want to go up, another child plays the cat on the ground, which is supposed to catch the mice. This is not just a game, but promotes teamwork and cooperation among the young climbers in a playful way, such as the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

The including climbing group was founded in 2008 and has since developed into an important point of contact. The founding member Linda, only 15 years old, discovered climbing as a therapy after an operation that restricted her several times in her activities. Both children and adults participate in this group, and special aids such as blindfolding or hearing protection are often used to promote integration. At the moment there are over 85 interested parties on the waiting list for the 14 active groups who regularly train every two weeks.

a network for inclusion

The initiative "Seilschaffe Inclusion" has set itself the goal of supporting the establishment of further inclusive climbing groups nationwide. This network offers a platform for clubs and individuals to exchange ideas and learn from each other via best practice examples. "We want to promote a matter of course for all people and show that everyone has their place when climbing," explains a representative of the initiative. Inclusion ambassadors are also trained who want to share their experiences and include inclusive climbing, as can be read on Seilschafft-inklion.de

The importance of such sporting offers should not be underestimated, especially for people with disabilities. A survey presented as part of the BGW Sportsmposium shows that sport means not only health for many, but also fun and stress relief. Nevertheless, reality often affects obstacles such as lack of time or financial restrictions. Specialist and assistant workers play a key role here to make the offers accessible here, such as the BGW indicates.

together strong

In the Thalkirchen climbing center, the groups are deliberately composed in a variety of ways. Both girls and boys, people with and without disabilities climb together, and the training is designed in such a way that they maintain the personal rights of the participants. Personal care is very important with a maximum of six children or eight adults per group. The fun comes first: the children decide on their activities themselves and can learn and grow independently without pressure to perform.