Author : Alrick Swaby
Published On : Sep 17,2025 01:33 PM

The Jamaica Paralympic Association and Uber are deepening their partnership to ensure Para athletes have greater access to training and competition. 

The collaboration will soon deliver a free Uber Ride Programme for all registered Para athletes, a groundbreaking initiative to be launched in time for the Jamaica Para Sport Festival on October 4.

President of the JPA, Christopher Samuda, says this initiative reflects a growing relationship between Uber and the JPA, one rooted in a shared commitment to breaking down barriers and empowering athletes. 

The renewed partnership was forged earlier this year during the visit of International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons and Americas Paralympic Committee Executive Director Michele Formonte, marking a significant milestone in the movement to support
Para sport in Jamaica. 

Samuda says the collaboration carries a meaning far greater than logistics.

Christopher Samuda.

SOURCE: https://revonews.ai/news/68cafdf38a307cb7d1da9099

• By JPA Editor
• In Press Releases, Uber

Posted By TOCaribNew on September 15, 2025

“This is a conviction to remove barriers.”

Imagine training for the world stage while never knowing if you can even get to practice. That’s the daily reality for many Para athletes in Jamaica, until now.

This October, the Jamaica Paralympic Association (JPA) and Uber will launch a free Uber Ride Programme for all registered Para athletes. Timed with the Jamaica Para Sport Festival, the initiative is about rewriting what mobility means for differently abled athletes.

Earlier this year, international sporting leaders visited Jamaica, spotlighting the nation’s growing Paralympic movement. Out of those conversations came a renewed bond between JPA and Uber. What makes this partnership remarkable is not only the logistics, but the shared philosophy driving it.

Christopher Samuda, JPA President, put it plainly, “This is aiding partnership, that goes beyond the inked contract and mobility and resides in the mutual conviction that, together, we can overcome the adversities and roadblocks of life.”

That conviction reflects a broader shift; one where corporate power and community needs intersect in ways that feel genuinely transformative.

For athletes with disabilities, showing up is half the battle. Coaches like Neville Sinclair, O.D., PLY, have witnessed the toll of missed training sessions. “We have athletes who sometimes can only train twice a week, because they can’t get there,” he explained.

Now, reliable transportation flips the script. More consistent attendance builds confidence. It removes a quiet, unspoken stigma: that ambition is limited by access. Instead, athletes step into a narrative where their effort meets tangible support.

Transportation seems simple, but in the psychology of opportunity, it’s everything. Access to training equals access to possibility. This initiative reframes Uber from a convenience app to an equity tool.

Carolina Coto, Uber’s Communications Manager for the Caribbean, emphasized, “Access to reliable mobility is fundamental to creating equal opportunities.”

The message is clear; equal access is an infrastructure, and when that infrastructure is built, society sees the results: medals, records, but most importantly, dignity.

Here is the deeper story. This partnership models how collaboration between global companies and local institutions can dismantle quiet barriers that often go unseen. It teaches communities to rethink what equity looks like: shared responsibility.

As the Para Sport Festival approaches, anticipation builds for a future where no athlete is left waiting at the roadside.

SOURCE: https://torontocaribbean.com/uber-and-jpa-launch-free-rides-for-para-athletes/

• By JPA Editor
• In Press Releases, Uber

Posted on September 16, 2025 / Our Today

The Jamaica Paralympic Association (JPA) and Uber are deepening their partnership to ensure Para athletes have greater access to training and competition. 

The collaboration will soon deliver a free Uber Ride Programme for all registered Para athletes, a groundbreaking initiative to be launched in time for the Jamaica Para Sport Festival on October 4.

This initiative reflects a growing relationship between Uber and the JPA, one rooted in a shared commitment to breaking down barriers and empowering athletes. The renewed partnership was forged earlier this year during the visit of International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons and Americas Paralympic Committee executive director Michele Formonte, marking a significant milestone in the movement to support Para sport in Jamaica

For JPA president Christopher Samuda, the collaboration carries a meaning far greater than logistics.

“JPA and Uber are driven to serve the differently abled and to fuel the aspirations of our Para athletes,” Samuda remarked. “This is a solid partnership that goes beyond the inked contract and mobility and resides in the mutual conviction that, together, we can overcome the adversities and roadblocks of life by creating highway havens where Para athletes can be inspired. Uber is fully on board!”

Carolina Coto, senior manager of communications in Central America and the Caribbean at Uber, reinforced the company’s commitment.

“At Uber, we believe that access to reliable mobility is fundamental to creating equal opportunities. Our partnership with the Jamaica Paralympic Association reflects our commitment to breaking down barriers so Para athletes can focus on their training and ambitions without limitations,” she said.

From the perspective of coaches and athletes, the impact will be immediate. Neville Sinclair, long-standing athletics coach and former Paralympian, emphasised the difference this programme will make on the training ground.

“This move will be helpful to our athletes. We have athletes who have challenges showing up for training as scheduled, sometimes only being able to make it two times per week,” Sinclair opined. “This programme will ensure that they have options and feel supported to come to training. I expect to see improvement in their skillsets and put us in a better position for future competitions.”

Together, these camps and the new mobility programme highlight a growing movement to ensure Jamaica’s Para athletes are fully equipped, supported, and empowered to achieve success at every level.

As anticipation builds for the October Para Sport Festival, the strengthened Uber/JPA partnership stands as both a practical solution and a symbol of possibility, demonstrating that with the right support, athletes can pursue their goals without limits.

SOURCE: https://our.today/uber-and-jamaica-paralympic-association-expand-partnership-to-strengthen-access-for-athletes/

• By JPA Editor
• In Press Releases, Uber

Posted on September 16, 2025 on instagram [CLICK HERE for original post]

#SportsNEWS: The Jamaica Paralympic Association @jamaicaparalympic and Uber @uber are deepening their partnership to ensure Para athletes have greater access to training and competition.

The collaboration will soon deliver a free Uber Ride Programme for all registered Para athletes, a groundbreaking initiative to be launched in time for the Jamaica Para Sport Festival on October 4, 2025.

The renewed partnership was forged earlier this year during the visit of International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons and Americas Paralympic Committee Executive Director Michele Formonte, marking a significant milestone in the movement to support Para sports in Jamaica.

For JPA President Christopher Samuda, the collaboration carries a meaning far greater than logistics.
“JPA and Uber are driven to serve the differently abled and to fuel the aspirations of our Para athletes,” President Samuda remarked. “This is a solid partnership, that goes beyond the inked contract and mobility and resides in the mutual conviction that, together, we can overcome the adversities and roadblocks of life by creating highway havens where Para athletes can be inspired. Uber is fully on board!”

In the meantime, Carolina Coto, Sr. Manager, Communications – Central America and the Caribbean at Uber, reinforced the company’s commitment. “At Uber, we believe that access to reliable mobility is fundamental to creating equal opportunities. Our partnership with the Jamaica Paralympic Association reflects our commitment to breaking down barriers so Para athletes can focus on their training and
ambitions without limitations,” she said.

#newsandnotes #parasport
#uber #Jamaican #newshound #Jamaica #jamaicasocial

• By JPA Editor
• In Press Releases, Uber