Why the Paralympics are about more than just sports

Key points:

• Approximately 4,400 athletes with disability will compete in this year’s Paralympics, as per information on the official Paris 2024 Olympics website
• Dr Max Nelson, a lecturer at the University of South Australia, commented on the importance of the Paralympics, with athletes competing at the highest level in the world
• Additionally, the National Winter Games by the Special Olympics Australia were held recently as athletes with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability competed against each other

Approximately 4,400 athletes with disability are set to participate in the Paralympics, according to the official Paris 2024 Olympics website. 

In this year’s Paralympics, 549 events will be held from August 28 to September 8, with 11 days of competition. The opening ceremony and parade will begin on Champs-Elysées, an avenue in Paris.

Dozens of Paralympic sports, such as blind football, para-archery and wheelchair basketball are set to be held in multiple venues in France, including the Eiffel Tower Stadium. 

Similarly to the Olympics, the Paralympics are held every four years, with athletes training for much of that time to prove they are the best in their sport in the world. 

Dr Max Nelson, a lecturer in exercise and sports science from the University of South Australia, highlighted how routines differ between athletes with disability and peers without disability.

“[…] Athletes competing in a ‘sitting based’ Paralympic variant of a sport may feature athletes with a wide array of individual musculoskeletal presentations who might require very different adjustments to their training, scheduling and equipment who may end up competing directly against each other, so individual needs must be prioritised,” he said.

Dr Nelson also commented on his professional experience of working with an athlete with disability and how training considerations differ between athletes.

“I once worked with an athlete who, as a result of his disability, his daily personal care and transport routine took three times longer than would be expected for his counterparts who do not have disability,” he said.

“This meant that if he was going to participate in a 7:30am training session, he would need to wake up at 4:00am or earlier to have any chance of being ready in time — and hence, adjustments to the timing of his training sessions were needed.”

Dr Nelson also expressed the importance of the Paralympics and how it can change community outlooks on what people with disability can achieve.

“The Paralympics are a great way to celebrate the athletic achievement of a number of individuals with disability but they also foster a more inclusive and equitable society,” he said. 

“The Paralympics highlight the abilities and achievements of athletes with disabilities [sic], challenging stereotypes and changing perceptions that some may hold about what people with disabilities can achieve.”

While the Paralympics will attract much attention, the National Winter Games by the Special Olympics Australia are also events for athletes with disability and were held between July 15 and 18, 2024. 

Special Olympics Australia supports people with intellectual disability or autism to participate in sports in safe and inclusive environments. 

These winter sport athletes competed for places to compete in the Special Olympics World Winter Games which will be held in Italy from March 8 to 17, 2025.

Approximately 2,500 athletes from 103 delegations will participate in the Special Olympics World Winter Games this year.

The most popular sports for Australians with disability include swimming, cycling, athletics and football. However, non-playing roles, such as refereeing are also good ways for people with disability to participate in sporting clubs and activities if direct participation is limited by mobility issues.

The benefits of playing sports can include social connection, improved physical fitness and increased resilience. Being active for 150 minutes a week ‘can increase your life span for up to seven years,’ according to the Australian Sports Federation. 

Additionally, increasing physical activity in Australians with chronic health issues can result in up to $1.9 billion dollars in health savings annually, according to Paralympics Australia. 

Dr Nelson also commented on how public sporting events for people with disability can foster a more inclusive environment and facilitate more people participating in sports.

“[…] People with a disability are at least twice as likely to be physically inactive as those without disability and are often at increased risk of a range of noncommunicable diseases, which, paired with the detriments to social and mental well-being, can come from physical inactivity, makes any way to promote or inspire people living with disability to participate in sport and exercise incredible worthwhile,” he said.

According to Paralympics Australia, 75 percent of Australians with disability want to participate in sports but ‘feel there are limited opportunities.’ 

If you have disability and are looking to get started in playing sport, there are many different options available which can be searched by state on the Disability Gateway website, an initiative from the Australian Government. 

Both recreational and competitive sports are included in this national directory.

What sports in the Paralympics are you most looking forward to watching?

Let the team at Talking Disability know on social media. 

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