Woomi Hope Foundation wraps up 'Woomi Jump Up' sports camp for young athletes with disabilities

The Woomi Hope Foundation said it held the Woomi Jump Up sports camp from July 22 to Tuesday in partnership with the Korea Paralympic Committee.

Woomi Jump Up is a program designed to identify and develop promising young athletes with disabilities, giving them a foundation to grow into next-generation national team members. Winter and summer camps are held each year.

This summer's camp was held under the theme "Discovering Sports Talents with Paralympic Medalists," bringing together 35 promising athletes selected from across the country.

Participants explored 14 summer Paralympic foundation sports — including athletics, swimming, table tennis, badminton, goalball and judo — to find the disciplines that best suited them. This year's camp featured Kim Yun-ji as a mentor. She became the first South Korean female athlete to win a Winter Paralympic gold medal, claiming the title at the 14th Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics.

The camp also ran a career guidance program that included information sessions on enrollment at a special physical education middle and high school set to open, as well as a special lecture for parents of Paralympians, helping participants map out concrete goals for their futures.

Ten standout athletes were selected as top performers and awarded Woomi Jump Up scholarships, including Jo Yu-na (16, North Jeolla Province), Chae Jin-yeong (15, South Jeolla Province) and Yun Jin (10, South Jeolla Province).

"Although it was just a short week, we hope it gave these promising young athletes the confidence to believe they can do it," a Woomi Hope Foundation official said. "We will keep cheering them on until they stand on an even bigger stage."

Meanwhile, the Woomi Hope Foundation is a nonprofit established in 2006 with funding from Woomi Construction. It runs programs supporting children and youth, multicultural families, families affected by industrial accidents, and young people who serve as primary caregivers for family members.