Disability & Sports Blog

       I believe that recognizing the Paralympics and other disability sports as legitimate, professional sporting events rather than branches of something else is one of the most important strategies to boost media coverage of these events. Athletes competing in the Paralympics train and prepare just as intensely as those competing in the Olympic Games. It is important to recognize how hard these athletes work. They can often go unnoticed simply because people may not know of the Paralympics, or they are just uninterested. An athlete is someone proficient in sports or physical exercise requiring strength and skill. This term refers to participants in both the Paralympic and Olympic Games. To bring more attention to these athletes and disabled sports in general, increasing the number of live events and promoting them is a great start. I recall seeing many advertisements for brands like Gatorade or Nike, featuring athletes to promote their products. Paralympic athlete...

Before reviewing this week's content, I directly connected “para” to paralysis or paraplegic. I assumed the Paralympic Games got their name because they were originally designed exclusively for athletes with disabilities, such as mobility impairments or spinal cord injuries. I have never really watched much of the Olympics, so hearing that there was a Paralympics was news to me. Based on this assumption, I also thought of the Paralympics as a separate event rather than as something intentionally created to coexist with the Olympics. It was interesting to learn more about the different events that happen during the Paralympics and how hard these Olympians work. After reviewing this week’s content, I also discovered that the word “para” is derived from the Greek word meaning "beside" or "alongside.” This helps explain exactly what the Paralympics are, an event that takes place alongside the Olympics rather than beneath them. There is an emphasis on equality and respect...