Didn't notice the champion

The Creation Charitable Foundation distributed on blogs a letter sent by the mother of Andrei Vostrikov, a multiple world champion in artistic gymnastics with Down syndrome. Vostrikov is a disabled person of the first group, six-time champion at the 2007 Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, five-time champion at the European Games in Rome, multiple champion of Russia, winner of 65 medals. Despite all these achievements, Vostrikov does not receive assistance from the state as part of the program to support athletes with disabilities. According to the presidential decree, a scholarship was established for members of national teams in Paralympic and Deaflympic sports. But the Russian national teams, winners and medalists of the Special Olympics, where people with mental disabilities participate, were forgotten; they are not mentioned in the text of the decree and do not receive either scholarships or monetary rewards. As a result, Vostrikov cannot go to the thirteenth Special Olympics World Summer Games, which will be held in 2011 in Athens. He has already received the right to participate and has started training, but he has no money for the trip. Therefore, his mother Zinaida Timofeevna turned to the fund. The foundation will try to raise funds for Andrei through the scholarship program “Those who walk can conquer the road.”