WDR: And what about the rest of the team?
Gdansk: Our men’s soccer team and our volleyball team have a good chance of winning a medal. In the individual competitions, Furkan Altun (competes in football and athletics, editor’s note), Jonathan Vaupel (swimming and athletics, among others) and Mathilda Quanz (basketball and volleyball, among others) are among the front runners.
WDR: At the World Dwarf Games there are competitions with very different performance levels, very young and older athletes take part. How important is the concept of inclusion?
Gdansk: Very important. Here we can compete with each other in our performance class on a comparable basis. In everyday life, for example in physical education, people of short stature often do not have this opportunity. In addition, we have a great atmosphere here and you get to know people from all over the world.
WDR: Why are the competitions actually called World Dwarf Games? In German one would never call them “World Dwarf Games”…
Gdansk: In fact, in German we speak of “world short growth games”. However, “dwarfism” is a common term in English.
WDR: What is the significance of the World Dwarf Games as an event?
Gdansk: Here we can do sport at eye level. The sporting and the social come together really well. And there are nowhere else such big games for people of short stature.
WDR: And how important are the competitions in creating more public awareness of the issue of short stature?
Gdansk: It would be good if it was made public that the athletes do good sport here and that there are also many Paralympic people. But at the same time, people like me who do it for fun and who come along for the event and the experience can also participate. Everyone takes a lot with them here.