Paralympic Sport

Abstract

As expressed by the International Paralympic Committee, four values underpin the Paralympic Movement: determination, equality, inspiration, and courage. This concise set of principles weaves its way through the stories of individual Paralympic athletes and anchors the history of the Paralympic Movement itself. Set against the backdrop of the two great world wars, the Paralympic Movement was created, in part, as a response to the need for progressive medical services for war-wounded citizens with impairments. Today, Paralympic sports continue to create a more inclusive society for people with impairments, emphasizing equality, hope, and humanity, in spite of physical differences. In this chapter, we contextualize the modern Paralympic Movement by reviewing its history and describing its sports. We then review a cornerstone feature of Paralympic sport, athlete classification. Common illnesses and injuries among Para athletes are then reviewed. We conclude by discussing controversies in Paralympic sport, including “boosting” among spinally injured athletes, and commonly used medications that have the potential to impact sports performance.