The Paralympic Movement

 Thoughts- 

Before being asked this question, I never thought of what the "para" in Paralympics meant. I understood this term was for the disabled and was something like the Olympics but I never took the time to know the true definition of the term. Taking a guess, I would think "para" is talking about those with a range of disabilities, describing the athletes that are participating in the games. The Olympics and Paralympics are very similar in the sports that they have but the only difference is who is participating. Therefore, since these are both parallel, I believe the term "para" is describing the disabilities of those who are taking part.

Paralympics-

After researching the word, "Para" means beside or alongside. This means that the Paralympics are the parallel Games to the Olympics. These two events exist side by side but with different participants. According to the International Paralympic Committee, On the opening day of the 1948 London Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair athletes. He named this the Stroke Mandeville Games which included 16 injured servicemen and women who took part in archery. The first official Paralympic games were held in Rome in 1960. Paralympic is formed by the two words 'paraplegic' and 'Olympic' which originated after this sports competition for British World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. The Paralympic games also include both winter and summer events like the Olympics and because of the "one bid, one city" policy, any city that hosts the Olympics also hosts the Paralympics. 

"Parallel Games"-

    Dr. Guttmann was a German neurosurgeon who found refuge in the UK. He treated injured servicemen who had been paralyzed at Stroke Mandeville Hospital. He understood the psychological benefits of physical activity so his treatment included team sports. This evolved into a wheelchair sports competition between the servicemen and women. Guttmann had a vision for the future of wheelchair sport far beyond Stroke Mandeville. He had planned for the games to be held at the same time in parallel with the Olympics. The growth in the number of athletes grew exponentially; In 1960 there were only 400 athletes from 23 countries participating in eight sports. In 2016 that number grew to 4,350 representing 164 countries participating in 20 sports. Today, the Paralympics are the second biggest sporting event in the world. There are six Paralympic categories: cerebral palsy, amputee, intellectual disability, wheelchair, vision impairment, and "others". Within each group, athletes are divided into certain classes based on the type and extent of their disabilities. Many of the same Olympic events are included but the only difference is some of the sports equipment may be modified for specific disabilities. Since the late 20th century the Paralympics follow shortly after the Olympics conclude in the same city. 

   Throughout Dr. Frober-Pratt’s presentation, she discusses the unique issues surrounding the Paralympic Movement. What I thought was interesting was the slow stride in media exposure and sponsorship opportunities. She talks about how in the UK all of the Paralympic games are aired on their local channel and in the United States we are not doing that because of government funding. Also, the fact that only as of September 2018, the U.S. Paralympics receive equal pay alongside the Olympics in terms of Metal payouts. This increase in payouts to Paralympic athletes is by approximately 400%, which I was very surprised to learn about. These athletes have to work twice as hard and seeing as though they are just recently getting paid at the same level as Olympians is absurd. It is refreshing to see the positive changes that are happening and hopefully continue to occur shortly. 

Sorces- 

VanderbiltUniversity. (2018, October 15). The Paralympic movement. YouTube. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u7EFpMonrg&t=8s

Simon Darcy Professor of Social Inclusion - UTS Business School - Centres for Business and Social innovation, & David Legg Professor of Physical Education & Recreation Studies. (2021, July 22). A brief history of the Paralympic Games: From post-WWII rehabilitation to Mega Sport Event. The Conversation. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-the-paralympic-games-from-post-wwii-rehabilitation-to-mega-sport-event-64809