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Introduction: Paralympic sailing was introduced at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games. Since then it has been developing rapidly and an increasing number of individuals in Poland and abroad regularly take part in sports competitions. Currently, disabled athletes can compete in three classes: Sonar, 2.4mR and Skud 18. The review of the Polish and foreign literature does not give a clear indication of the motives for participation in Paralympic sailing. Material and methods: The study was carried out on 52 regatta sailors with physical disabilities. Group I consisted of 20 sailors from the Polish National Team. Group II consisted of 32 sailors from 10 European countries. The study was conducted during the National Team camp in Górki Zachodnie and during the European Championships in Switzerland. The Participation Reasons Scale (PRS – developed by Brasile and Hedrick in 1991) was used in the study. Results: Excitement of the activity and an opportunity to improve abilities were rated highest by the disabled sailors from the Polish National Team. In the group of sailors from other European countries, the motives rated highest included the chance to be with friends and challenges related to sailing. Conclusions: Sports-related aspects and emotions are the main factors motivating disabled persons to practise sailing. If we take into account the needs indicated by the sailors in planning sports activities for people with disabilities, it may contribute to faster development of Paralympic sailing in our country.

Introduction.A review of Polish and international literature does not give a clear indication of the level of anaerobic capacity that sailors with disabilities demonstrate with regard to their functional capacities. This study sought to determine differences in functional capacity levels between sailors from three medical and functional groups. Material and methods. The research was carried out during a sports camp at the National Sailing Centre in Górki Zachodnie in 2014. Eighteen males with locomotor disabilities were included in the study. The athletes were members of the National Team of Sailors with Disabilities of the Polish Yachting Association. The sportsmen competed in the Skud 18 and 2.4mR Paralympic classes. A 30-second Wingate test for upper limbs was employed in the study. Results. Significant differences in mean power (MP) values were noted between the groups under investigation. The group of wheelchair sailors with improper core stability (A) and the group of wheelchair sailors with proper core stability (B) had significantly lower scores than the group of study participants who were able to move freely, that is to walk (C). Conclusions. The study revealed that a 30-second anaerobic capacity test performed on an arm ergometer differentiated disabled sailors from selected groups in terms of mean power. Research on anaerobic capacity may be used to verify the current classification in Paralympic sailing and will make it possible to differentiate present competition categories.

Introduction: Health is highly valued by individuals as well as whole social groups. Lifestyle, and related with this health behaviors are believed to be the main factors that largely determine its condition. Poland is a country, where the number of malignant cancer morbidity is systematically increasing. Breast cancer is the most common among women aged 45 years old. Despite the relative stability of the mortality outcomes the rate of it is still high. This situation is influenced by many factors, including the limited awareness of the value of health-related behaviors. Material and methods: The study included 70 women aged 45-75 years old. The study and control group consisted of: 36 women with breast cancer and 34 women without cancer in history. The specifically developed questionnaire and the Positive Health Behaviors Scale for Women developed by Hildt-Ciupińska were used in this study. IBM SPSS v. 21.0 was used for statistical analysis and non-parametric U-Mann Whitney test. Results: The study let determine the level of women's health behaviors. The analysis of the results showed that there are much anomalies in health-related behaviors in both studied groups. The lowest point scale values were reported in the "Physical activity" subscale. The highest values were reported in the "Safety behaviors" and "Caring body" subscale. The disappointing results in statements related with the prevention of cancer were the most alarmous. Conclusions: The introduction of health prevention awareness programs in the group of women over 45 years of age, may contribute to an increase in the frequency of health-promoting behaviors.

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