A Guide To The US Paralympics

The US Paralympics are games played in the style of the Olympic games, but are played strictly by people with various disabilities. These games are a wonderful way for those who have some kind of athletic ability to get together and compete, and not focus on their disability. Instead, they can show others how well they excel at a certain sport. Sir Ludwig Guttmann founded the games in 1948. He wanted to start a sport that involved veterans from World War II. Within a few years, veterans from other nations joined in the competition. By 1960, a formal games strategy was formed, and the once informal competition garnered the official name the Paralympics. They are played every four years, and are always held in the same year as the official World Wide Olympic Games.

There are currently 26 different sports played during the Paralympics. Twenty of these games are for the summer games, while five are for the winter. Some examples of sports played include the biathlon, alpine skiing, power weight lifting, shooting, swimming, and wheelchair dance, to name a few. Many of the games are the same as those played in the traditional Olympic games such as table tennis, basketball, rowing, archery, cycling, and even sailing. While many of the sports played during the Paralympics are open to all athletes some are reserved only for people with certain disabilities. Athletes are categorized by their disabilities and these categories are then classified based on the sport being played. The athlete categories include amputee, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, wheelchair, visual impairment, and les autres. Les autres is the French word for “the others” and this category includes all athletes that don't fit into the other five categories. Some well-known paralympic athletes include Bobby Martin, Jason Lester, Erin Popovitch, and Jessica Long. Then there is Ragnhild Myklebust of Norway who holds the record for the most medals ever won at the Winter Paralympic Games. Over the course of her career with the Paralympics she won twenty two medals, and seventeen of those were gold.

Over the years, there have been a few controversies that have arisen with the Paralympic Games. In 2000, some non-disabled athletes from Spain entered the games and played on the basketball team. This has prompted the committee to suspend all intellectually disabled athletes until further evaluation. The committee claimed it would re-evaluate this after the Beijing Games, but no final decision has been made. Other controversies that have arisen include the problem of doping. During the Sydney games in 2000, fourteen athletes tested positive for doping, and ten of those were participating in the power lifting competition. Despite its controversies, the US Paralympics are a great way for those with disabilities to shine and prove their athletic greatness.

For more information about the US Paralympics, please refer to the following websites:

  • IPC – Official website of the International Paralympic Committee

  • The US Paralympic Team – Home page for the US team and its athletes.

  • Paralympic Perspectives – Article about Ann Cody, a former paralympic athlete.

  • A Chance to Dream – How the Paralympics has helped countless war veterans achieve their dreams.

  • Paralympic Sport TV – Website with televised paralympic events and videos.

  • Basic Information – History, background, and basic information about the paralympic games.

  • Vancouver 2010 – Information about the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games.

  • Athlete Stories – Bios and stories of some paralympic athletes.

  • Competition – How one sport has made the games more competitive for a special athlete.

  • Beyond Olympic Games – How the Paralympics reaches beyond just sport and competition and truly touch peoples' lives.

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