August embodies the theme of well-being and happiness in all forms this year. This includes connecting with nature and reaping the rewards with local green spaces during National Allotments Week from August 12th to August 18th, celebrating those who deliver life-saving aid during World Humanitarian Day on August 19th, and acknowledging Never Give Up Day on August 18th, which has a lot in common with our main topic.
Before we delve into this month's topic, we should address the previous exclusion of the Olympic Rings, the most recognisable and arguably iconic part of the Olympics.
Most people mistakenly tune out once the Olympic closing ceremony concludes, so much so that they forget the untold story of the Paralympics, which usually happens around two weeks later. This year, the Paralympic Games will occur in Paris from August 28th to September 8th.
Now, let's get started.
The Birth of the Paralympics: A Historic Prelude
While the Olympics were started elsewhere in the world, the Paralympic movement was initially started within the UK - on the grounds of a hospital in southeast England. It was made possible by the commitment and efforts of a Jewish neurosurgeon endearingly nicknamed "Poppa" - Sir Ludwig Guttmann.
Following World War II, the British government approached Dr. Guttmann about creating a spinal injuries centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital to provide care and rehabilitation for those who were paraplegic or quadriplegic.
What is Paraplegia?
Paraplegia is a medical condition characterised by impaired motor or sensory function in the lower half of the body.
Causes of Paraplegia can include injuries, diseases or congenital disorders that affect the spinal cord, which serves as the primary pathway for signals between the brain and the rest of the body.
When someone is referred to as paraplegic, it means they are unable to move or feel their legs and the lower part of their body. The severity of the condition can vary, and individuals might experience a loss of sensation and movement within the legs and lower abdomen or experience issues with controlling their bladder and bowels.
Individuals with Paraplegia often require the use of a wheelchair or mobility aid, as they are unable to walk or stand without assistance.
What is Quadriplegia?
In 1948, Guttmann sought a way to assist his specialised unit of paraplegic patients with their rehabilitation, all of whom had served in the Royal Air Force. But how does someone address the challenge of providing more than care and start the arduous, emotional journey of restoring a person's dignity?
His solution was simple: Sports! He (along with administrative help from Joan Scruton, one of Guttman's colleagues) launched the first athletic event for 16 injured servicemen and women, the Stoke Mandeville Games, to improve physical health, raise self-esteem, and help reintegrate them back into society. Guttmann also aimed to challenge public perceptions of individuals with disabilities, who were cast aside and faced limited opportunities to recover, by inviting the public to spectate.
This small event also started alongside the London Olympics opening ceremony on July 29th of the same year. It featured a lighthearted mix of netball and archery competitions specially adapted to wheelchair use.
Even though it started with just 16 competitors, the competition quickly became a tradition for the spinal injury centre every Olympiad, becoming more prominent and better than the last. New events, more competitors, and a gradual rise in spectators who were amazed by the sporting prowess eventually led to the first international version of the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1952, where a small team of veterans from the Netherlands visited to compete against the British team.
While the Stoke Mandeville Games certainly contributed to the movement of an officially recognised Paralympic Games, much more was happening to aid this movement.
For instance, the Comité International des Sports des Sourds (now known today as the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf) formally made its voice heard by the International Olympic Committee to gain legitimacy and support for the Deaflympics - a series of multi-sport events specifically for athletes who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
The First Paralympics?
The ninth International Stoke Mandeville Games, widely recognised as the first Paralympic Games by many, were held in Rome (the capital of Italy) from September 18th until the 25th - six days after the Olympic Games closing ceremony in 1960. Subsequently, this was also the first time the Paralympics took place in the same city as the Olympics.
The opening ceremony for this International Stoke Mandeville Games was attended by five thousand people at the Acqua Acetosa Stadium. Athletes from 23 different countries participated, with 400 competitors, all using wheelchairs, competing in eight different sports, including:
During the closing ceremony, Sir Guttman proudly stated the following:
“The vast majority of competitors and escorts have fully understood the meaning of the Rome Games as a new pattern of reintegration of the paralysed into society, as well as the world of sport.”
Also happening in 1960, an international organisation that represents the interests of veterans and ex-servicemen worldwide established the International Working Group on Sport for the Disabled to address issues related to sports for individuals with impairments. This led to the creation of the International Sports Organisation for the Disabled (ISOD) in 1964, which provided opportunities for athletes who could not join the Stoke Mandeville Games. They welcomed amputees, individuals with cerebral palsy, those with visual impairments, and even some individuals with Paraplegia who were not classed as able to compete.
This was also the last official Olympiad hosted under the guise of the Stoke Mandeville Games. Henceforth, they would become known as the Paralympic Games.
The Expansion of the Paralympic Games
Twelve years after the creation of ISOD to represent those who wanted to compete in the Paralympics, they had managed to successfully make a case to expand the criteria to allow blind and amputated athletes the capacity to compete in the 1976 Toronto Games. ISOD also successfully pushed once again to include athletes with cerebral palsy in the 1980 Arnhem Games.
Despite the positive strides towards inclusivity, the Paralympics rapidly became a topic of controversy due to a lack of standardisation, which led to unfair competitions and scheduling conflicts between events.
To address these issues, many organisations (including the ISOD) voted to band together in 1989 to form a more concise governing body for Paralympic sports, founding the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in Düsseldorf, Germany.
After countless talks, the International Sports Federations worked to create and refine the classifications for each sport based on specific demands and necessary skills within a class-based system instead of one diagnosis being the limiting factor. These classifications have been refined and monitored further to form the classifications that are in place today.
How do Paralympic classes work?
Classes are unique depending on the event, and athletes often compete with others in the same class type.
Boccia, a sport unique to the Paralympics (which has a similar ruleset to playground jacks where leather balls are used instead of the cross-shaped counters), has four different types of classes:
BC1 - Allowed an assistant and uses a powered wheelchair to throw/direct
BC2 - Independent, able to direct throw/direct by themselves
BC3 - Allowed an assistant and uses a ramp to throw/direct
BC4 - Independent and able to direct throw/direct by themselves but are prone to fatigue
Wheelchair Tennis, however, only has two classes:
Quad - for players who have impairments in both their lower and upper limbs
Open - for players who have impairments in their lower body
About the Agitos (and the Olympic Rings)
You may be asking yourself how three bold shapes came to be the official icon for the Paralympic Games.
Well, those three half-crescent "shapes" are known collectively as the agitos and a single half-crescent is called an agito, which means "I move" in Latin. The national flags of the world also inspired the three colours used for each agito, as the three specific colours (of red, blue and green) are the most widely represented in each flag. Collectively, the agitos also encircle around a single point to represent the IPC's shared vision of welcoming athletes from all over the world to compete.
This specific design was also commissioned by a design agency named Scholz & Friends on behalf of the IPC and approved for use in 2003 - just in time for the 2004 Athens Games. It has been used ever since, including for the 2024 Paris Games.
Finally, the Olympic Rings were designed by Pierre De Colbertin and were publicly shown for the first time in 1913. The five interlocking rings symbolize the union of the five continents participating in the Olympic movement at the time. Together, their colours also represent every flag in the world.
From left to right, the rings represent the following:
Blue for Europe
Black for Africa
Red for America
Yellow for Aisa
Green for Australia
These five rings represent the five parts of the world now won over to the cause of olympism and ready to accept its fecund rivalries. What is more, the six colors thus combined reproduce those of all nations without exception. - Pierre De Colbertin
Discussion Points for Equality, Diversity, Tolerance and Respect
How can the democratic decision-making processes within the Paralympic committees be enhanced to be more inclusive?
Should we switch the order of the Olympic and Paralympic Games? Would this have any negative effects?
Why don't the Paralympic Games use the Olympic Rings?
Are there still issues that could prevent aspiring athletes from competing?
Does the Paralympics help change what people think about disabilities, or should more be done to change this?
There are 549 medal events in the Paralympics this year. Should there be more or less?
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