President Campo's Death a Shock to Americas Paralympic Committee

(ATR) The Americas Paralympic Committee (APC) is in "shock" after the unexpected death of its President José Luis Campo.

Eduardo Montenegro, vice president of the APC, has taken over as interim president and tells Around the Rings Campo’s death "left us all in shock, increased by the unexpectedness."

Campo, who was a physical education professor for youth with disabilities, was instrumental in the development of the Paralympic Movement in the Americas. Campo died on Monday, October 16 in Mar del Plata, Argentina as a result of a heart attack while participating in a walk and fun run event to raise money for organizations that fight childhood cancer.

Asked about who would assume Campo’s role within the APC, Montenegro said: "I haven’t even looked at the statutes; there is no precedent for this. For now the vice president will assume his roles and relevant organizations will determine the path forward."

Montenegro told ATR that he met Campo at the Paralympic Games in Sydney 2000 which he attended as the technical head of the Cuban delegation.

"The last time we spoke personally was in Dubai, we said goodbye on September 9th at the end of the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee," said Montenegro. "He was a great person who showed solidarity, was serene and dedicated to support for the activities of disabled persons."

A meeting between the APC Executive Board and IPC officials led by president Andrew Parsons was scheduled for November. Parsons has sent condolences to the family of the late Argentinean leader on behalf of the IPC.

"The Paralympic Movement has lost one of its most valuable members," Parsons said in a statement during the IPC Project Review in PyeongChang, South Korea. "Jose Luis Campo, President of the Americas Paralympic Committee, was an inspiration to anyone who knew him.

"His passion for the Paralympic Movement had no limits. I called him "maestro" [teacher, in Spanish] as he taught me so much over the years. His commitment with the Movement was beyond any comprehension.

"I will never forget how he organized almost by himself the Parapan Games 2003. It was amazing to see his passion exciting a group of volunteers in Mar del Plata and uniting them around the dream to deliver the best possible Games, with almost no funding, to the athletes of the Americas. He was a fighter, an example of resilience.

"The Paralympic Movement has a lost a good friend. His legacy to the Paralympic sport will live strong forever. It was a privilege and an honor to work alongside him. My thoughts are now with his family: Sonia, Manuel, Josefina, Bernardo."

A impassioned supporter of athletes with disabilities, Campo was the head of the first Parapan American Games in Mexico in 1999 as president of the APC. Four years later, this event was held in his hometown of Mar del Plata.

In order to create more opportunities for young athletes in the region, Campo helped create the Youth Parapan American Games. The first edition was held in Barquisimeto, Venezuela in 2005 with athletes from 10 countries. He also headed the last edition in March in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with 800 athletes from 19 countries.

In December 2015, months after the successful Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, Campo signed a historic agreement on behalf of the APC with the Pan American Sports Organization (PanamSports). According to its terms, the two organizations will work together in the selection process of future cities for the Parapan and Pan American Games.

The support also means that APC representatives are invited to a number of working committees and events organized by PanamSports. They will also coordinate joint actions to strengthen relations between each country’s Paralympic and Olympic Committees.

Most recently, Campo worked closely with the Organizing Committees of the Lima 2019 Parapan Am Games and the Para Central American Games set for Managua, Nicaragua in 2018. He also worked on the project of the Para South American Games in Buenos Aires.

Campo was elected founding President of the APC in 1997 and served two terms until 2005. Colombian Octavio Londoño was President from 2009 to 2013 before Campo was elected president once again.

In his March 2017 reelection, Campo received 16 votes with two abstentions and one vote against, while Montenegro was elected Vice President for a second term with 10 votes, beating rival Julie O´Neill of the United States with eight.

"I think that we are going to continue to be a united team around the Paralympic Movement and the legacy of Campo," Montenegro told ATR.

It remains unclear if new elections will be scheduled or if Montenegro will officially assume the role of APC president.

Reported and written by Miguel Hernandez

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