Blog #3: Do the Paralympics Better Represent the Olympic Maxim?

Do the Paralympics Better Represent the Olympic Maxim?

The Olympic Maxim Ideals:

Solidifying an understanding of the Olympic values and their meanings would assist in determining whether the Paralympics demonstrate a better representation of the overall ideals. The International Olympic Committee expresses, “the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering, but fighting well.” During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the campaign #StrongerTogether showcased themes of these ideals such as strength and unity during COVID-19. 

Due to the rich history of the Olympics and Paralympics, each has continued to demonstrate their core values of these ideals in their own ways. However, the Paralympics have shown year after year that they remain faithful and consistent in supporting the Olympic maxim because of their founding values.

Image by Kacper Pempel, reuters.com

Historic Evidence:

Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, the pioneer of the Paralympic movement was a strong advocate for ensuring the Paralympics would stay true to the Olympic principles it was founded on. He strongly believed in rehabilitation through sports while treating disabled servicemen and women. Dr. Guttmann proved through innovation that anyone can reach their maximum potential through sports, even with disabilities. 

Words in the Olympic maxim such as "taking part" and "fighting well" reflected the founding themes of the Paralympics because it wasn't only about winning the games. These servicemen and women demonstrated their utmost strength by reclaiming their lives and showing that their disabilities wouldn't stop them from achieving what most saw as impossible. The Stoke Mandeville Games, hosted alongside the 1948 Olympics, allowed these individuals to "take part" in the events, proving that Olympic sports can welcome those who train and work hard. 

Supporting Details:

Inclusivity is a celebrated aspect of the Paralympics, which continues to promote fairness in determining which Para-athletes are accepted. A United Nations article shares additional information on the continued Paralympic efforts toward the "Continuum of Inclusion" which describes the movement of making inclusion normalized worldwide. Paralympian Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt originally described this term in her speech. She discusses various ways the Paralympics continues to abide by Olympian values while bringing positive changes to participating countries.

Connecting Paralympic Values:

Paralympic values stated within the IPC Symbol Guidelines use the words, "courage, determination, inspiration, and equality" connecting with Olympic ideals. It was not without reason that Dr. Ludwig Guttmann believed the Paralympic Games served as a better representation of the overall Olympic motto. I've quickly come to agree with this viewpoint because the Paralympics demonstrate that anyone of all backgrounds and disabilities can participate in sports. 

In an article written by Cheri Blauwet, MD and Stuart E. Willick, MD explain, "Paralympic sports has promoted a global awareness that participation in exercise, in addition to competitive sports, is a realistic possibility for individuals with varied categories of disability from both developed as well as resource-poor settings." The Olympics, in comparison, doesn't exhibit this level of accessibility, often leaving the window of opportunity extremely selective for aspiring Olympic athletes from more privileged backgrounds.