| The run up to the Olympics begins years in | | | | intellectual disability, wheelchair bound or |
| advance of the event itself with countries | | | | visually impaired persons. Another, |
| bidding for the right to hold the | | | | cover-all, category is that of Les Autres. |
| international event in their country, | | | | This encompasses any personal injury or |
| attracting tourists from around the globe and | | | | disability that results in deformities, |
| boosting the country's economy way beyond | | | | dwarfism, MS or some such disability. |
| what it actually costs to stage the event | | | | |
| itself. | | | | The Paralympics has proved a highly popular |
| | | | goal for those with disabilities to aim |
| We have recently seen an impressive display | | | | towards. From its inception with four hundred |
| of what the world's athletes can achieve when | | | | athletes to the latest event with 3,806 |
| they pull together with the Olympics in | | | | competitors, it just goes to show what an |
| Beijing. The world's finest gathered together | | | | inspiration this event is. It is a well |
| to display the physical prowess and the way | | | | documented fact that mind over matter is a |
| their achievements have brought them to be | | | | strong influence on the human body and while |
| the world's best. But what of those people | | | | it may not be a cure-all it will certainly |
| whose passion in life is their sport yet | | | | instil the will to continue with a worthwhile |
| through personal injury are no longer able to | | | | life. |
| participate? Should they just accept their | | | | |
| fate and become couch potatoes whilst | | | | For those who have never seen the |
| watching the Olympics on the TV screen? | | | | Paralympics, we're not talking about simple |
| | | | table tennis tournaments here. Summer sports |
| Absolutely not. In 1948, the Stoke Mandeville | | | | cover many categories including; archery, |
| Games began. This was essentially for war | | | | cycling, rowing, swimming, athletics, |
| veterans who had suffered a personal injury | | | | football, sailing, wheelchair basketball, |
| to the spinal cord that had left them without | | | | wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and |
| the use of their lower limbs. These games | | | | wheelchair tennis. The winter games will |
| proved so successful that they were held | | | | cover sports like skiing, ice hockey and |
| again in 1952, this time including war | | | | wheelchair curling among other sports. |
| veterans from Holland making the games an | | | | |
| international event. It is believed that this | | | | Adaptations are made to allow for the |
| was the original pre-cursor for the | | | | disability or the equipment involved to |
| Paralympics that began in Rome in 1960. | | | | assist the athlete but these are truly |
| | | | competitive sports requiring great energy and |
| However, the name has taken on a slightly | | | | stamina, even more than an able bodied |
| different meaning since 1976 because it's not | | | | athlete would need to muster, given the added |
| simply paraplegics that can enter the | | | | difficulties that need to be overcome. |
| competition but also those who have suffered | | | | |
| personal injury that leaves them with | | | | Disabilities to the degree that would allow a |
| tetraplegia or quadriplegia. These are often | | | | participant to make it the Paralympics are |
| conditions a person is left with after | | | | brought about by various reasons, from car |
| suffering a severe spinal cord injury and | | | | accidents to medical negligence, from birth |
| result in a person being paralysed in either | | | | defects to sporting accidents. It simply goes |
| the lower, upper or all limbs. | | | | to show that there is always something worth |
| | | | pushing on for and it gives hope to those who |
| The categories of disability now covered by | | | | don't wish to participate that much can be |
| those that enter the Paralympics are; | | | | achieved, even with such difficulties to |
| amputees, those with cerebral palsy or | | | | overcome. |