The Estonian Paralympic Committee and the Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum have opened the Paralympic Gate in Tallinn Airport

A completely unique interactive Paralympic-themed exhibition has been opened at Tallinn Airport. The Paralympic gate, created in collaboration with Toyota Baltic, is located at Gate 8 and displays Estonia’s history at the Paralympic Games and introduces various parasports disciplines in more detail. This is the first time that the Paralympic movement is displayed at such a grand scale in Estonia.

“Sport has always united Estonians, made them breathe in the same rhythm. Parasport has often undeservedly remained in the shadows in the world of sport. By telling the stories of para-athletes, we can raise awareness, change attitudes, and maybe someone will find their passion and self-fulfillment through parasports,” said Monika Haukanõmm, President of the Estonian Paralympic Committee. “The goal of the Paralympic Gate is to introduce and raise awareness of Estonian parasports and the history of the Paralympics to both Estonian travelers and guests from abroad. Parasport unites everyone,” she added.

“It’s great that parasports and para-athletes are visible to the public, so people know what they can do or who they can cheer for,” said Estonian Paralympian Laura-Liis Juursalu, admitting that she started doing sports and competing without knowing that paratriathlon existed. “I would like to believe that Estonian people have perhaps grown enough in spirit by now and view parasports as a normality the way the British, Spanish, and French do. "If parasports are more visible, then people will get used to the fact that it is also part of normal life," added Juursalu, who was selected as the female para-athlete of the year in 2024.

The Paralympic exhibition offers visitors educational knowledge and interactive activities in both Estonian and English while they wait for departure from Tallinn Airport. The focus is on rare items, including Annely Ojastu's spikes, with which she won Estonia a gold medal at the 1996 Paralympic Games, swimmer Marge Kõrkjas' memorabilia from four Summer Paralympics, and triathlete Laura-Liis Juursalu's swimming cap and starting number from the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. In addition to exciting items and an overview of Estonia’s current and former top para-athletes, the exhibition also includes hands-on activities with a handcycle.

According to Ingris Suvi, Head of Development of the Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum, the museum is always happy to bring the stories of Estonian sports closer to people. "We are excited that together with the Estonian Paralympic Committee and Toyota Baltic we can introduce parasports outside of our museum in Tartu," and added that, as is typical of a sports museum, the airport exhibition is also interactive.

The marketing manager of Toyota Baltic Elli Tiivel expressed that “Paraathletes help prove that nothing is impossible. Their efforts in sports instill self-belief in everyone who, despite the difficulties, persistently strives towards their goals. Having been the mobility partner of the Estonian Paralympic Committee for almost 10 years, we continue to be happy to be a companion on their sporting journey.”

Paralympic Gate No. 8 at Tallinn Airport in Estonia will continue to attract all travelers until spring of 2026.