Written by The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games have officially started. This is a very exciting time during the summer Olympic season where over 4,400 athletes, in six different disability groups, compete in 22 sports. These athletes have been training for many years and must perform at their peak levels to compete for a medal. For many athletes, it is not about the medal, but for the Olympic journey itself.
I was speaking with someone the other day and they asked a simple question: “Why is it called the Paralympic Games?” I explained that it is just like the Olympic Games:
Para sport’s earliest known origins were from Germany in 1888 and have been growing ever since. The Paralympic Games are a testament to how inclusion, equality, and equity should strive to be. While the Paralympic Games still need to continue to expand their reach, equality, and equity, the International Paralympic Committee is doing what they can to “embrace all impairments” and provide a parallel opportunity with the Olympic Games.
Many countries over the last few decades have embraced the Paralympic movement equally with the Olympic movement. The have led the Paralympic movement to where it is today. We hope that other countries and sports federations continue the growth of the Paralympic dream. Even though the Paralympics have only one third of the amount of Olympic athletes, their journey should not be diminished. These athletes should be supported the same way as their Olympic counterparts. And this goes for viewership as well…Paralympians are just as competitive as their Olympic counterparts. Over the next two weeks, take time and watch the Paralympic Games. You may be pleasantly surprised on how much you will enjoy it.