Introduction
Today, a lot of people are passionate about sporting events, especially the Olympics, which are significant and well-attended international sporting events. Every four years, it takes place, and each time, a large number of people from each participating nation travel to the host nation. Even though the Paralympics are the same sporting events, many individuals will be less well-known and may not even be aware of their existence.
What are the Paralympic Games?
The Paralympics are international sporting events that feature disabled athletes. When the words “Parallel” and “Olympic” are combined, it means that the competitions will take place at the same venue and in the same year as the Olympics. Originally, the term was a combination of the words “paraplegic” and “Olympics.” Athletes in the Paralympics are divided into categories according to their specific physical impairments, and those with comparable impairments compete. The Paralympic Games were a part of more than 20 different sports competitions up until 2012, and some of them permitted wheelchair use while competing (Shepley, 2023).
The origins of the games
World War II claimed countless lives, and it had a terrible impact on humanity due to the large number of people it left crippled.
In order to further improve life and longevity, people with spinal injuries and medical research developed the Paralympic Games during World War II. This implied that rehabilitation was crucial and that people ought to work harder at it. Spinal injury sufferers in their 20s might expect to survive into their 60s. Helping damaged young people engage in and contribute to society is also morally and economically required.
One response to this was the creation of a spinal injury center in 1944 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, England. It was run by Dr. Ludwig Gutman. And he not only medically treated and rehabilitated people but also motivated people with spinal injuries to live.
At the heart of his approach was the inclusion of sports in the rehabilitation system, which led to wheelchair sports competitions.
After several years of development, the Stoke Mandeville Games were first held on July 28, 1948. From the time this event was announced, Gutman had a hope for the future of wheelchair sports beyond Stoke Mandeville, and he intended that wheelchair sports would also be played at the same time as the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.
The start of the archery competition, which features a total of 16 athletes, two female and 14 male, has evolved into the annual Stoke Mandeville Games. In 1952, the first international competition was held, with Dutch athletes invited to compete in table tennis, snooker, darts, and archery.
Eight years later, Rome was the first city to host the Olympics, except Stoke Mandeville. However, when the official term ‘Paralympics’ was used, it was the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (Legg and Darcy, 2020).
The importance of paralympic games
The follow-up to the Olympic Games is called the Paralympics, where people with a wide variety of disabilities compete, including leg length differences, shortness, muscle movement or strength impairment, limb deficiency, intellectual or visual impairment, etc. It is held every four years, like the Olympics, and both the Summer and Winter Paralympics exist.
Unfortunately, the Paralympics are not appreciated and recognized. To take the example of the Rio Olympics, the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics drew more than 30 million spectators, while the number of spectators at the Paralympics was less than 2 million. In addition, the Paralympic Games receive less funding from the U.S. Olympic Committee and are paid less than Olympic athletes.
Athletes competing in the Paralympics not only excel in their sport but have also overcome obstacles. They exhibit incredible bravery and tenacity in overcoming both physical and psychological challenges. They demonstrate that nothing is impossible by entertaining and motivating others. Additionally, in an effort to improve the lives of those with disabilities, the Paralympics can raise awareness of both physical and mental impairments. In order to transform the public’s perception of the Paralympics and enhance their quality of life, it is necessary to provide more modern facilities (Osman, 2016).
Conclusion
The Paralympics were initially developed for the care of the injured during World War II, but throughout time they underwent changes and eventually firmly established themselves as a sport. However, the public is uninterested in the Paralympics, and the athletes’ pay is pitifully cheap. The Paralympics require more support and attention because they have the potential to increase public understanding of impairments.
References
Legg, D. and Darcy, S. (2020). A brief history of the Paralympic Games: from post-WWII rehabilitation to mega sport event. [online] The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-the-paralympic-games-from-post-wwii-rehabilitation-to-mega-sport-event-64809 [Accessed 1 June 2023].
Osman, H. (2016). The Paralympics are just as important as the Olympics – The Hilltop Monitor. [online] hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu. Available at: https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/the-paralympics-are-just-as-important-as-the-olympics/ [Accessed 1 June 2023].
Shepley, P. (2023). What are the Paralympic Games? (with pictures). [online] Sports & Nobbies. Available at: https://www.sportsnhobbies.org/what-are-the-paralympic-games.htm [Accessed 1 June 2023].
