My Knowledge of the Paralympics

 In one of my very first blog posts talking about the Paralympics, I went ahead and stated that "Before ever knowing about the Paralympics, and I am talking about even knowing what it pertain too, I thought it was something far more different than what it actually was. As goofy as this will sound and even may make me look, I thought that Paralympics was some form of sub-genre for a sport in the Olympics that had to do with parachuting and other sports pertaining to this category" (Ramsay, 2024). Looking back at this, I find it kind of funny how that was what I thought the Paralympics were. Throughout the course, I have learned quite a lot regarding the Paralympics. I've learned the early history and how it came to be, where from WWII many would become injured suffering losses of legs or paralyzation, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann would introduce sport into the rehabilitation regime, which quickly would gain traction and become a sport competition. I've also learned about how the Paralympics have had many breakthroughs such as back in the London 2012 Olympics, Oscar Pistorius who would use running blades participated in the 400m run. I've also learnt about all the different kinds if technology that is used by these individuals, such as wheelchairs that are made for specific sports, running blades, and certain types of balls that vibrate or let or out some sort of noise for those who may be blind or deaf. The course had really furthered my knowledge very quickly within this topic and really gave me a good run down of the history and how it came to be which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Throughout everything I have learned from this class, I would certainly say that it has gave me a new found respect and love for the individuals that participate in these events and even individuals who like to play in their free time. I would go ahead and say that sports is one thing that brings everyone together and that is the beauty of the games. It shows us incredible stories about individuals and can motivate everyone regardless of their disability, race, or economic background. Reading through how hard these individuals try and how much they practice to participate in the sports has really opened my heart up to them. I would actually find myself watching the Paralympics coming up at the end of August to actually see the games in real time. The people that participate in the Paralympics are amazing and it truly incredible how much heart they put into the sport that they love regardless of who they are and what disability they may be facing. It really does help put out the message that anyone can do it which is something that really needs to be put out into the world more often. I would definitely say that this course has changed my mindset about disability and the impact of society. Again, reading about the stories and the effort that these individuals put into the sport that they love really goes miles. It shows how much love they all have regardless of whatever disability they may be faced with and that is courage.

I would definitely listen a lot more closely to how individuals talk about disabled sports. I know that many aren't very educated in the topic and I wouldn't mind furthering others education about the topic. I think it would be very beneficial to the person mainly if they are also interested in the topic too. If not, it's still nice to further someone else's knowledge on a topic a little bit more since that small amount you further it could entice the individual to want to learn more about it on their own. The Paralympics I feel is one of the more misunderstood sports in todays world, where many don't exactly know what it is or how it came to be. I believe if many went ahead and furthered their knowledge on the sport, I feel it would become more recognized and respected in the world where many other individuals can get the chance to participate in it too if they are faced with a disability but still love sports. As mentioned above, sports bringing the world together and that is the beauty of it. I am thankful for this class expanding my knowledge about this topic and hope it continues to expand others knowledge on the topic as well.