In April 2023 Sports Federation for the Disabled of Slovenia – Slovenian Paralympic Committee (NPC Slovenia) invited 100 active and former Slovenian athletes (15 para athletes and 85 non-disabled athletes) to the Šiška athletic stadium in Ljubljana to support the global #WeThe15 campaign, raising awareness on social inclusion and equal opportunities for the disabled. The athletes expressed their support by stepping into a purple circle, the symbol of the #WeThe15 movement, and together voiced the message: We’re all equal in sport!
It is true of the world: out of every 100 people, 15 are disabled; and their opportunities for equal participation in life and work, social inclusion, are a reflection of our society. This is why 85 Slovenian athletes, including former ski-jumper Cene Prevc, basketball player Zoran Dragić, the handball players Vid Kavtičnik and Jure Natek, cyclists Andrej Hauptman and Nejc Peterlin, the volleyball player Nik Mujanović, athletes from the sports department of the Šiška highschool, karate athletes, swimmers and many others gathered at the Šiška athletic stadium in Ljubljana. They were joined by 15 elite para athletes: the two Para Athletes of the Year 2022, the athlete Leja Glojnarič and the tennis player Marino Kegl, para table tennis player Luka Trtnik, women’s national sitting volleyball team captain Lena Gabršček, para dancers Lara Nedeljković and Nastja Fijolič, sitting ice-hockey player Tilen Ribnikar, para archer Dejan Fabčič, wheelchair handball national team member Tanja Cerkvenik, athletes Robi Kogovšek and Tadej Enci, Oliver Jangelov and others.
This symbolic gesture of stepping into the purple circle with the message ‘We’re all equal in sport!’ was an expression of respect for one another and a call for equal opportunities in society for each and every individual. Slovenian athletes and para athletes thus provided one of the biggest manifestations of the #WeThe15 movement message in the world. Support for the #WeThe15 movement was also voiced by the kayak/canoe athlete Benjamin Savšek, handball player Uroš Zorman, table tennis player Luka Jokić, shooter Kuka Lukić, para shooter Franček Gorazd Tiršek, para cyclist Anej Doplihar, wheelchair basketball player Matej Arh and numerous other athletes and para athletes.
With this symbolic gesture they have sent a very significant message to the world. They managed to bring together disabled and non-disabled athletes and they are looking for such close ties and cooperation for the future as well. Sport is in a force for connecting people and a bridge to inclusion of the disabled into the society.