Fundación Handisport: Rafa Winckelmann’s mission to make sport and Mallorca accessible to all

When Rafa Winckelmann talks about sport, he is not just describing games. He is describing freedom. Two decades after a motorbike accident left him with an incomplete spinal cord injury at C4/5, the Mallorcan founder of Fundació Handisport is still chasing that feeling of movement, camaraderie and open air that sport gives. “After the accident I thought, why should I change my friends or the way I live,” he says. “I went looking for activities I could share with family and friends. Diving was the first surprise. I had no idea it would be possible.”

That discovery set the course for what would become Fundación Handisport, launched about 17 years ago to create real, practical access to leisure sport in Mallorca for people with disabilities. The formula was simple and bold: choose activities that individuals can do independently, but in the company of others, and adapt them so as many people as possible can take part. The early roster included golf, scuba diving, water-skiing, sailing, off-road 4×4 excursions in the Serra de Tramuntana, and blow-karting, the land-sailing sport powered by wind. “It sounds dangerous,” Rafa laughs, “but it is very safe. The point is to choose sports where we can adapt equipment and instruction to the person.”

As word spread, visitors began arriving from across Europe. Handisport quickly realised that a day on the water or a round of golf is only part of a holiday. People also need accessible hotels, restaurants and transport. The foundation started joining the dots, advising travellers and working with town halls and tourism bodies on accessibility plans. Over the years Handisport has collaborated on improvements in Calvià and Alcúdia among others, from ramps and wider doorways to accessible beach showers and clear, useful signage, including Braille. “Accessibility benefits everyone,” Rafa says. “Parents with buggies, older people, anyone carrying luggage. When you make a pavement wider or a bathroom easier to use, you improve comfort and dignity for all.”

Progress has been steady rather than swift. By law, venues that change their activity must meet accessibility standards, and many hotels have invested in adapted rooms and facilities. Even so, Rafa argues, the island should see accessibility as an investment rather than a cost. “People with disabilities usually travel with companions and tend to stay longer. They often choose better rooms to be sure things will work for them. If businesses see accessible customers choosing the restaurant with a ramp rather than the one with steps, they will act. Confidence grows when you feel the intention is there to help.”

Today Handisport’s activities are spread across the island. Sailing is based in Palma, Blokart in Binissalem, water-skiing in Palmanova, and hand-cycling on safe promenades and designated routes. The emphasis is on inclusion, safety and joy. Hand-bikes range from add-on units that clip to a standard chair to full recumbent models with flags for visibility. “We avoid roads when we are with beginners,” Rafa notes. “The aim is confidence and fun.”

This November brings another major milestone: the Handisport Mallorca Open, taking place from 11 – 15th November at Golf Son Antem, Llucmajor. Organised by Fundación Handisport with the support of PowerBaseTec and PBT Mobility, the tournament will welcome around 75 international players from 13 countries, highlighting the spirit and skill of adaptive golf in an inclusive environment where disabled and non-disabled golfers compete side by side.

More than a competition, the Handisport Mallorca Open is designed as a shared experience. The programme includes an opening ceremony, a practice round, two days of tournament play, social dinners, a guided hand-bike tour, and optional excursions to explore Mallorca. Specialist standing chairs allow players with limited mobility to address the ball upright and swing safely. As Rafa puts it, “It is hard, but that is golf. The magic is that everyone can take part.”

The event also reflects Handisport’s long-standing commitment to accessibility in tourism. The host hotel, Hipotels Gran Playa de Palma, offers adapted rooms, roll-in showers, lifts, pool access hoists and accessible dining, restoring independence and comfort to travellers who often have to plan their journeys with precision.

Handisport’s internal team continues to evolve. Rafa’s mother recently stepped back from the presidency and, following a short transition, he will formally take on the role next month. The team now includes German coordinator Jonas Nachtwey, who grew up around adaptive golf technology through his father, the inventor of one of the leading standing chairs. “Jonas lives and breathes this,” says Rafa. “That mix of technical know-how and empathy is invaluable.”

Spectators are warmly invited to attend tournament days to cheer players on. “It is inspiring,” Rafa says, “but more than that, it is normalising. You see ability, not limitation.”

Rafa knows better than most that recovery is a long game. He was 27 when he crashed in 1999. Years of physio followed. Some function returned on his right side; enough to stand briefly, to drive with adaptations, to live independently. “You do what you can every day,” he says. “Keep healthy, keep ready, and trust that science will keep moving. Robotics, AI, neural tech, stem cells. When the breakthrough comes, I want my body to be prepared.”

In the meantime, he measures progress in smaller victories: a new ramp at a café, a smoother pavement that keeps wheelchair users off the road, a hotelier who widens a bathroom door because it is the right thing to do, and a first-time diver surfacing with a grin. The message to Mallorca’s tourism industry is clear. Accessibility is not a niche. It is a standard, a market, and a mark of respect.

For visitors considering a trip, Fundación Handisport advises on adapted activities, accessible accommodation and tailored excursions, including help for cruise passengers on short stays. For locals, the foundation offers ways to volunteer, sponsor and host inclusive events. “We are always happy to help people discover what is possible,” Rafa says. “Because once you try, the island opens up.”

Find Fundación Handisport via their website or social channels by searching Handisport Mallorca. Spectators are welcome at the Handisport Mallorca Open this month. Go along, and be part of a more inclusive Mallorca.

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