During the event, several stakeholders addressed those present, including Errold Bishop on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports of Curaçao; Aksel Cijntje himself; Simone van Leusden from the Alfa-college; the coaches of The Eagles; C.A.B. chairman Willem Cordilia; Sharline Antonio-Dopwell, the mother of athlete Thania Baling; and Alette Borger on behalf of Dolphin Suites & Wellness, a long-standing advocate for inclusion in Curaçao. They emphasized the importance of an inclusive society on Curaçao and the power of sport as a means to promote overall well-being, self-confidence, connection, and participation.

Aksel, who was born and raised in Curaçao, sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of a gunshot wound. During his rehabilitation in Groningen, he was introduced to handbike sports—an experience that gave him renewed motivation and perspective. Through this initiative, he aims to offer peers in Curaçao the same opportunity. His ultimate dream is to realize a wheelchair-accessible sports, play, and community park on the island.

In 2024, Aksel was named Student of the Year. In addition, the Sustainability Team of the Year 2024 donated their prize money to Aksel, enabling him to begin turning his dream into reality.

In addition to the handbike presentation, Aksel also visited schools, neighborhoods, and the prison in Curaçao this week, where he shared his personal story to inspire young people and draw attention to inclusion and accessibility in education.

The trip and initiative were made possible in part by:

Alfa-college, Internationalization, Fit for Life Kluiverboom, Kluiverboom Management, Sustainability Team Hoogeveen, and Dolphin Suites & Wellness Curaçao.