Renowned wheelchair tennis player Cisco Garcia is set to make an inspiring visit to Amilla Maldives, the world’s first certified accessible resort. This visit aims to demonstrate that mobility challenges should not hinder anyone from enjoying sports or achieving their dreams.
Cisco Garcia, who transitioned from a legal career to becoming a celebrated wheelchair tennis athlete, will be at the resort from September 26th to October 3rd. His journey began after a life-changing spinal cord injury from a snowboarding accident in 2015. Since then, he has risen to prominence as a Paralympian and author of the motivational book, ‘Unbreakable. The art of always getting up once more’. With a career-high ranking of 43 in ITF wheelchair singles, Cisco is also a passionate advocate for disability rights.
During his stay, Cisco will participate in the launch of a new wheelchair tennis program at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences. He expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I have a phrase that has stuck with me since getting injured, which is GIVE US WALLS SO WE CAN BRING THEM DOWN. Even the most unlikely of things is possible once they are accomplished, and what Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences has done shows that. Simply imagining an adapted resort in a place as wild as the Maldives seems unlikely, and to carry it out seems impossible. Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences have made this possible and will allow travellers from all over the world to enjoy an incredible place.”
Amilla Maldives is pioneering accessibility in luxury travel, having undergone a comprehensive audit by Inclucare to cater to guests with mobility, sensory, or cognitive needs. This initiative was launched by British TV presenter and disability advocate Sophie Morgan in July, marking a significant step towards inclusivity in the travel industry.
The resort’s Activities Manager, Arthur Libaud, who previously served as Amilla’s in-house tennis professional, is spearheading the development of the wheelchair tennis program. Arthur, who has extensive experience in promoting wheelchair tennis in his native France, will lead the coaching sessions. “It is a very exciting project,” Arthur remarked. “The goal is to have a wheelchair specifically for tennis that any of our disabled guests can use. I’ll show them how they can easily play tennis. We will have a discovery class for disabled guests, but also we will open it to non-disabled guests to show a new perspective to them and maybe help raise more awareness.”
Amilla Maldives is already equipped with numerous accessible features, including ground-floor villas, a beach wheelchair, and illuminated phones for guests with hearing impairments. The resort is expanding its offerings to ensure full inclusivity, introducing adaptive yoga and snorkeling, sensory experiences for vision-impaired guests, calming spaces to alleviate anxiety, and deaf-alert systems. Comprehensive staff training is also underway to ensure that every guest, regardless of mobility level, feels welcome and comfortable.