Andrea Cifuentes received a grant during the final camp of Para surfing ©PlayLA

Para surfing camps of the PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports programme came to a close with the United States Para surf champions Liv Stone and Sarah Bettencourt featuring in the final event.

The last summer season camp boasted 20 youth Para surfers, which was the highest number of participants of the initiative.

Stone and Bettencourt, who both collected the team title at last year's World Para Surfing Championships, took part in the event as special guests.

"It's amazing to see young people of all abilities try new sports and learning directly from Team USA athletes," Erikk Aldridge, the vice-president of impact at LA28, said.

"This summer's para surfing camps are just the beginning when it comes to making adaptive sport more accessible and we're excited for even more young people to have opportunities to play and grow through the power of sport on our road to the LA28 Games."

A grant of $1,500 (£1,400/€1,500) was awarded to Andrea Cifuentes, a 13-year-old who was born with a spinal cord condition called spina bifida.

The money is to aid Cifuentes' continued involvement in the sport and other Para disciplines.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks ran the scheme, which also had the support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks played an influential role in the PlayLA scheme ©Getty Images
The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks played an influential role in the PlayLA scheme ©Getty Images

"We are so proud of our PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports Program for its incredible summer sports season," Jimmy Kim. the general manager of City of LA Department of Recreation and Parks, commented.

"We want to thank all of our partners and providers for helping make this season a success and for their continued support as we continue to bring together youth of all abilities to share a passion for sport and create impactful friendships in a safe, fun and comfortable environment."

Wheelchair tennis and Para equestrian classes have also been held this summer in partnership with Triumph Foundation and Ride On respectively.

Almost 150 registrations were made during the course of the programme.

The next programme is set to see Para equestrian return alongside blind soccer clinics, supported by the United States Association of Blind Athletes, and adaptive skateboarding classes.

PlayLA was launched by the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee and the International Olympic Committee to make sports more accessible for kids in the area.