Technology isn’t just securing the safety. Also boosts athlete’s motivation

Pride of the Korean-Made

The passion of the athletes seen at The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games is unforgettable. It is to this end that POSCO has devoted itself to supporting athletes with disabilities.

When it comes to sports, even small improvements in technology or changes to the gear may bring about huge differences. Having supported the national para ice hockey team since 2016, POSCO developed lightweight sledges with improved tolerance shock absorption for the Korean para ice hockey team so that the athletes could focus more on the game. This made POSCO the first company in Korea to manufacture athletic gear for national Paralympic teams. Equipped with motivation and new gear, the Korean para ice hockey team achieved an amazing Bronze medal in The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

SEE ALSO: Parallel: Shining a Spotlight on the Korean National Para Ice Hockey Team

With memories of The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games still fresh, South Korea recently observed the National Day of Persons with Disabilities on April 20. In recognition of this day, POSCO interviewed Jin-Owan Jung, head officer at the Korea Paralympic Committee Icheon Training Center and manager of the Korean Paralympic team the man who led the Korean team at The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and one who both understands and represents the interests of people with disabilities in Korea.

“It’s Not Just About Overcoming Your Disability But Accepting It.- Jin Owan, Jung”

He emphasized the recognition and acceptance rather than struggling

Accept who you really are

Jin-Owan Jung was 22 years old when a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down in 1987. Undeterred by the accident, Jung set his eyes on becoming an athlete for the Paralympics when he saw the Seoul Paralympic Games in 1998. He won 2 medals – a gold and a bronze – in Shooting in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics Games. After retiring as an athlete, his passion for sports drove him to take on a new role in administration. The experiences gained as a Para sport athlete and also by interacting with others with disabilities, gave him a perception that acceptance of one’s disability is more important than struggling to overcome it.

He agrees that the situation is getting better but still needs more support such as financial aspects

You are not alone

The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games was a huge success in that the athletes’ passion inspired positive change in the society’s views toward people with disabilities. Jung noted that the infrastructure for people with disabilities in The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games was much improved in comparison to past games. However, he believes there is still room for improvement. Additional and sustainable social support is necessary to ensure those with disabilities can enjoy living conditions equal to those of other citizens and have an equal share in the development of their societies.

POSCO supports not only their technology but also financial aid

How to support?

Jung explains, “Financial support is not everything but it is important in certain circumstances.” POSCO has been a proud sponsor of athletes with disabilities and has provided roughly $2.6 million in support of Para sport since 2011. This year, POSCO donated $370,000 to the Korean Paralympic team in honor of their effort and passion.

‘Harmony’ is the element that POSCO will promise for better society

Jung believes that sports might be the key to resolving discrimination against people with disabilities. However, this can only be accomplished with active contribution from supporters. POSCO will continue to support Jin-Owan Jung’s dream of achieving social harmony and creating a society where having a disability does not impede one’s quality of life.

POSCO started supporting the team last year after CEO Ohjoon Kwon watched the team take the bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships. As shown in the documentary, the athletes were playing on insufficient sledges that would often break down and cause injuries. Some players were fixing their own sledges between matches, others made do with what they had. CEO Kwon knew POSCO had the solutions for the team and started a project with sledge-maker Massive Blade to revamp the sledges for the team. Now, ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, the team is equipped and ready with the world’s leading technology.

SEE ALSO: How POSCO’s Advanced Technology Gives Speed to Korea’s Para Ice Hockey Team

Parallel: A Documentary

Parallel was directed by Kyungman Kim in 2012. He wanted to make the movie to document the para ice hockey players’ endurance and grit in overcoming their physical limitations through the sport. “However, as I started editing the footage and putting it all together, I noticed how happy the players looked on the ice. That’s when I decided the documentary was going to be about happiness – what it really means to be happy. That’s what I want to share with viewers,” said director Kim.

Director Kim couldn’t help but notice the smile on the players’ faces. (Source: Taehung Pictures Naver Post)

That’s exactly what the movie delivers. Of course, the players face challenges every day due to their injuries and physical conditions, but the interviews in the documentary reveal the players to be genuinely happy and grateful for their sport. Seunghwan Jung, one of the players, says, “I used to wish I had legs all the time, but when I started playing hockey, the thought just never crossed my mind. In a way, the sport has allowed me to accept myself… understand myself.”

One of the players take break from intense training. (Source: Taehung Pictures Naver Post)

For many of the players, playing para ice hockey has been a healing process, but it doesn’t end there. The team is as competitive as any other Olympic team, and even with a lack of spectators and interest in the sport, the national team has produced impressive results. In the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympics, the team placed 6th, and then 7th in Sochi in 2014. This is even more remarkable given the poor equipment, especially the sledges, they were using at the time.

POSCO Gives Ice Sledges a Technological Makeover

In order to qualify as a para ice hockey player, a person must have a physical impairment in the lower part of their body, but this can come in many different forms. As a result, one of the biggest challenges teams face is finding sledges that fit, protect and enhance each player. Before POSCO signed on as a sponsor, the Korean National Team relied on expensive imported sledges from Canada that were heavy and susceptible to structural damage from harsh contact. On average, 5 to 7 sledges required repair work during a single game. In an attempt to produce the first domestic sledge, POSCO’s researchers jumped on board to provide sledge-producer Massive Blade the materials for a lightweight, strong and corrosion resistant sledge.

Researchers at POSCO’s Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST), came up with a way to use magnesium as the main material for the sledge frame. Magnesium is one of the lightest materials available as it is one third lighter than aluminum, but it is extremely hard to treat and bend into shape. RIST not only developed the technology to treat magnesium, but also applied it to sledges for the first time in history. POSCO also provided its advanced high-manganese anti-vibration steel and stainless steel to finish off the new sledges, fit for a national team.

RIST researchers developed a processing technology to increase the moldability of magnesium.

Outfitted with the new sledges, the team beat out strong European teams in the 2017 World Championships to place 3rd, and just last month, they won a four-nation friendly tournament in Japan. Now, they have their eyes on an Olympic medal in PyeongChang.

Regardless of the results, POSCO will continue to support the Korean National Para Ice Hockey Team so they can continue doing what makes them and others around them happy.

Cover photo courtesy of Hello PyeongChang.