'Para'lympics

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 ~'Para'lympic~
European Jewish Congress on Twitter: "As the Paralympic Games start, we remember Jewish neurologist Ludwig Guttmann. After surviving the Holocaust, he organised an archery contest for soldiers with spinal injuries in 🇬🇧,
    Paralympic. When you hear that word, what does it mean to you? Do you think of the famous worldwide games or is there something else that you think of? When hearing this word for the first time, I knew that it was the Olympic games but was created directly for the disabled so that they can train and participate as anyone else would in sporting events. When I hear the prefix “para,” my mind directly goes to the word “paralyzed.” Being paralyzed is one of the many disabilities that people have, except that it does not define the disabled community as a whole since other disabilities exist. After further research, the prefix “para” means next to or beside, sort of like an assist. Learning this, if you look at the Olympics and Paralympics side by side, the Paralympics are similar, however, are the games that need assistance. In other words, the Paralympics are considered “parallel” to the Olympics, meaning they go hand in hand and mirror each other, despite a few differences, but rather how they exist together.

~The Parallel Games~

The Paralympic Games: where 15% is the protagonist | United World Project Researching the history behind the parallel games and how it came about, was from the person who started it all, the German Jewish neurosurgeon, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann. His revolutionary idea sprang during the Second World War when he wanted to help injured soldiers from spinal paralysis by setting up one of twelve spinal units in Buckinghamshire which was given the name, Stoke Mandeville Hospital. In addition to the units, Dr. Guttmann wanted to incorporate rehabilitation through sports while also including some type of competition to keep the young minds active. July 29, 1948, was the opening day of the Olympic Games in London and Dr. Guttmann had a tremendous idea to start his own "games" on the same day - which I thought was extremely interesting (Historic England). Archery was the first competition that soldiers participated in that sparked the growth of the new and upcoming Paralympic Games. A given article, Disability and Sport: The Birth of the Paralympics - from Rehabilitation to World class Performance, states "...by 1966, in Rome, 400 disabled athletes from 22 countries were participating" (Historic England). This shows that in over ten years, Dr. Guttmann's plan was flourishing, coming to life, and really making a difference in society by making the disabled feel included and welcomed into the world of the Paralympics. The very first official Paralympic Games were held in Sweden in 1976 during the winter with 16 countries and 198 participants partaking in the sports including alpine skiing and cross country (International Paralympic Committee). The Paralympic Games have come a long way from having two sports to now having 28, which is over half of what the Olympics have today - very impressive! I admire the work of Dr. Guttmann and will forever praise the efforts that he put into the production of the Paralympic Games!


Paralympics Logo: Meaning and History



References

Disability and sport: The birth of the Paralympics - from rehabilitation to world class performance. Historic England. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/disability-history/1945-to-the-present-day/disability-and-sport/#header 

Ornskoldsvik 1976 - results. International Paralympic Committee. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.paralympic.org/ornskoldsvik-1976/results 

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