Celebrate in JAPAN!!

This year marks the 25th Anniversary for the Japanese Synchronized Swimming Association's People with Disabilities. Under the direction of Coach Morita for the past 30years, the JSSA added people with disabilities for water ballet and exhibition. Every 4 years, a celebration of Japanese people with disabilities in a huge sports festival pays homage to a population rich with stamina, color and culture! People with disabilities in every sports discipline from all over Japan come to participate.

This year in May (6-7-8th), they will be celebrating 25yrs of synchronized swimming for people with disabilities. We believe Japan has had the longest running program for athletes with disabilities in synchronized swimming. Although they do not compete or attend annual Intl exhibitions or camps, Coach Morita for the 1st time, traveled to the Synchro Taiwan AWD Exhibition last June 2015 with one of her athletes, who did participate in the Intl exhibition, featuring eight countries. "It was great. We would like to continue working with other Countries so that we can showcase our swimmers with disabilities', says Coach Morita. The JSSA has over 300 synchronized swimmers, including many male swimmers ranging in all ages with a variety of disabilities, both developmental and physical. "It is a sport for our swimmers with disabilities and to continue this for them would be the best thing" Coach Morita told us at the Synchro Taiwan exhibition.

Coach Morita has extended an invitation to Synchro clubs around the World to participate in their 25th anniversary celebration, which will include a dinner, parade and large exhibition from Friday, May 6th to Sunday, May 8th. There will be limited spaces for Hotel room and board covered by the JSSA for Synchro Clubs attending with athletes w/disabilities. Brazil has a large contingent attending, as well as Synchro Taiwan. We will be attending also, with representation from the United States. Last June 2015, our SS AWD organization visited Japan on a 'good will' trip to see the Country and to meet other athletes with disabilities. It was a success and Coach Morita and various dignitaries are happy to see us return for their celebration which will include an exhibition featuring AWD Synchro Swimmers Raquel Boales, Corinne Harris and Trina Lynne from the USA. If you would like more information, please email us at: awdsynchro@gmail.com