On Aug. 29, athletes with physical disabilities from around the world will meet in London at the site of the 2012 Olympics to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games.
For 12 days, ending Sept. 9, athletes with varying physical disabilities will compete in archery, boccia, road and track cycling, equestrian events, football, judo, powerlifting, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, fencing, rugby and tennis.
The Paralympic Games began at a hospital in England in 1948 through the efforts of a German neurologist, Ludwig “Poppa” Guttmann, who was a strong advocate for incorporating sports therapy in enhancing the quality of life for people injured or wounded during World War II.
Guttmann became known as the “Father of Sport for People with Disabilities.”
With a small group of wounded British veterans of World War II, Guttmann organized the International Wheelchair Games to coincide with the 1948 London Olympic Games.
Guttmann visualized a future of worldwide sports competitions for people with disabilities to be held every four years as the equivalent of the Olympic Games.
In 1960, his dream was realized when the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome involving 400 athletes from 23 countries.
The games have grown from just wheelchair athletes to include five major classifications: visual impairments, physical disabilities, amputee athletes, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and “Les Autres” — athletes with a physical disability not included in the mentioned categories such as muscular dystrophy.
This year, 4,200 athletes from 166 countries will participate in the summer games.
New Orleans native and LSU graduate Mark LeBlanc won a spot on the United States sailing team to participate in the 2012 games.
To check the schedule of events and to see a live viewing on five different channels on the Internet, visit www.london2012.com/paralympics or www.paralympics.org/Sports.
It is exciting to see how the lives of athletes with disabilities change when involved in sports, and how that reaches beyond rehabilitative benefits fostering sportsmanship, camaraderie and an active way of life.
Paralympics showcases the skill and talents of these high-performance athletes in competition.
Jane Pic Adams, mother of a daughter with Down syndrome, writes about issues of interest to people with disabilities. E-mail information or questions to: email@example.com