(ATR) Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman tellsAround the Rings the change created by the Paralympics is "enormous".
"The work done by the city is wonderful," Nuzman told ATRat the festival marking one year to go until the Paralympic Games.
"We have another year to go and after this we will have a different city. It will be the best city that changes for the Olympics and Paralympics in history."
Parque de Patins on the shores of the Lagoa de Freitas hosted the year-to-go festival featuring Nuzman, International Paralympic Committee president Phil Craven, Brazilian Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons and Brazil's sports minister George Hilton.
In addition to sport leaders voicing their support for the Paralympic Movement, athletes in five-a-side football and sitting volleyball staged sports demonstrations for the public in the park.
Jason Smyth from Ireland won the "World’s Fasted Paralympian" race put on by the IPC, and Brazil and Argentina contested a five-a-side football competition. Athletes from Brazil and the U.S. showcased sitting volleyball.
"When you see an amazing race like we saw here, we saw they are fast, elite athletes that have an impairment," Parsons told ATR.
"I think the best legacy from the Games will be the change in the attitude of people towards those with an impairment. We have more investment than ever in Paralympic sport with the government doing their part.
"But now we need the private sector to understand a bit more what Paralympic sport is."
IPC chief Craven helped open the year-to-go festivities, congratulating Rio on the milestone until the "biggest Paralympic Games ever".
Craven is in Brazil until Sept. 16 for the festivities. He will visit a Paralympic training facility in Sao Paolo on Thursday before attending the Paralympic chefs de mission meeting.
"People make a great Games, and there are some great people here in Rio," Craven said."Even more importantly the Games in Rio have an opportunity to change a whole continent.
"The Paralympics have developed a track record for being the number one sporting event for driving social inclusion and in 12 months time I’m sure the performances of the para-athletes will redefine how people view those with an impairment."
Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
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