The Meaning of and History Behind the Paralympic Games

In taking time to reflect on the word paralympic, it came to my attention that I never truly considered the true meaning of the word. In the past, I only ever thought of the concept of the word and its relations to the athletes and sports it showcased. Before reviewing this week’s class content, I set aside some time to actually break down the word paralympic, and determine some sort of meaning. In doing so, I thought that “para-” could mean paraplegic to represent a form of disability, but quickly found that to be an inadequate explanation since game participants have countless forms of disability, in which any part of their body could be affected by physical and or intellectual means. I then thought back to my medical terminology days from both freshman years of high school and college, recalling that “para-” means near, alongside of, beside, and even abnormal. From there, I put the word back together in its entirety, continued to reflect upon it and its relation to the Olympics, and ultimately decided to return to the thought once I reviewed the material at hand. 

Through watching several of the provided YouTube videos, reading the suggested articles, and taking on my own research, I finally had an understanding of the word paralympic. As stated on the International Paralympic Committee website, the word paralympic is derived from the Greek preposition “para-,” meaning beside or alongside, and olympic referring to a series of international athletic contests held every 4 years in both summer and winter seasons. Essentially, the Paralympics serve as a parallel to the Olympics, further indicating that the two work in tandem.  

At its core, the Paralympics were born as a result of a simple dressing contest, in which young men plagued by a newfound disability from war, raced to get out of bed, dress, and get into their wheelchairs. This friendly competition was the first of many used throughout soldier rehabilitation, thanks to Dr. Ludwig Guttmann. In 1948, Dr. Guttmann arranged the Stoke Mandeville Games, the first competition for wheelchair bound athletes. These games continued on, taking place every few years, and in Rome’s 1960 Olympic Games, the Stoke Mandeville Games were recognized as the Paralympic Games. 

The Paralympics and Olympics are, undoubtedly, two of the largest athletic showcases in the world. Both game series gather athletes from all over the globe to display their sporting capabilities, and hopefully win a title to their name and home nation. Every four years, in both summer and winter seasons, both games commence in the same host city, usually just a few weeks apart. Since the two are similar, and not identical, they function alongside one another relatively closely. For example, they both have a governing body and headquarters, but they differ between the two. The Paralympics are overseen by The International Paralympic Committee in Bonn, Germany, while the Olympics are overseen by The International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland. Furthermore, Paralympic athletes have a form of physical or intellectual disability, while Olympic participants are able-bodied. 

In the modern day Paralympic Games, athletes are organized into six different disability groups, including amputee, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, visual impairment, spinal cord injury, and les autres, in which an athlete’s disability does not apply to other categories. From there, athletes are further classified by the type and extent of their disability. Over time, athletes may be regrouped if their status changes. Similar to how individual athletes can change over time, the Paralympic Games have undergone extensive developments themselves. The size and diversity of the games has evolved greatly throughout the course of its existence. Starting with just 16 athletes and archery, the games have grown to over 4,400 participants and 22 events. The future for the Paralympic Games looks bright, and I am excited to not only learn more, but watch these athletes and events continue to grow, raise awareness, and celebrate successes.