Adaptive sports and the Paralympic Games

The combination of terms “limited mobility” is pretty much self explanatory. And most of the time it leads to a not too physically active life for most of us, which is so bad for our health. The good news is that there are tons of sports designed for people with limited mobility, and depending on the way your limbs are affected, you should have enough choices. It’s a great way to pass the time, it will improve your health and it will give you a sense of achievement, making you feel more independent, it will reduce your stress level by making your brain release more endorphins, it will reduce the pain and many more awesome benefits. Who knows, maybe we will even see you at the Olympics! So let’s take a look at 3 of the most well known options. Hopefully this post will help you decide what you should start with.

1. Paralympic Swimming

As the name states, it is a sport governed by the International Paralympic Committee, so it’s also part of the Paralymic games. But of course, it can be practiced by anyone and at any level (starting with beginner, of course). Physical disabilities of Paralympic swimmers include single or multiple limb loss (through birth defects and/or amputation),cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries (leading to paralysis or disability in limb coordination), dwarfism, and disabilities which impair the use of joints. So if you think this is the right sport for you, stop wondering how you’ll manage to not drown due to the limited mobility of your limbs, and start looking for a place where you can safely practice it. Swimming is great! And you’ll be less scared of boat rides too!
Famous athlete: Eleanor May Simmonds (photo), is a British Paralympian swimmer competing in S6 events. She came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Great Britain, despite being the youngest member of the team, at the age of 13. In 2012 she was again selected for the Great Britain squad, this time swimming at a home games in London. She won another two golds in London, including setting a World Record in the 400m freestyle.


2. Wheelchair racing

We have marathons, car racing, motorbike racing… so why not wheelchair racing? Even though the racing wheelchair may look slightly different from what you’re used with… but if you’re bound to use one and think that your arms and spirit are strong enough for the competition, why not look into it? Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and partially sighted (when combined with another disability). Athletes are classified in accordance with the nature and severity of their disability or combinations of disabilities. Like running, it can take place on a track or as a road race. The main competitions take place at the Summer Paralympicswhich wheelchair racing and athletics has been a part of since 1960. Competitors compete in specialized wheelchairs which allow the athletes to reach speeds of 30 km/h or more. It is one of the most prominent forms of Paralympic athletics.
Famous athlete: David Russell Weir (photo), CBE (born 5 June 1979) is a British Paralympic wheelchair athlete. He has won a total of six gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games, and has won the London Marathon on six occasions. He was born with a spinal cord transection that left him unable to use his legs.


3. Wheelchair Basketball

If you’re a fan of basketball and wish that you could practice it, there actually is a version of it which can be practiced by people in wheelchairs. The rules are pretty much the same and it is as dynamic as you would expect basketball to be. Wheelchair basketball sees tremendous competition and interest on the international level. Wheelchair basketball is included in the Paralympic Games. The Wheelchair Basketball World Championship is organized two years after every Paralympic Games. Major competition in wheelchair basketball comes from Canada, Australia, the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Famous Athlete: Ade Adepitan (photo) MBE (born 27 March 1973) is a British television presenter and wheelchair basketball player. He uses a wheelchair as a result of contracting polio as a child which led to the loss of use of his left leg. Adeptitan is an accomplished wheelchair basketball player, for his club Milton Keynes Aces and as a member of Great Britain team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and the gold medal at the 2005 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Dealing with the lack of accessibility when going out

We all know the pain of having to deal with old buildings which have no ramps or adapted restrooms. The world is slowly trying to make everything accessible for everyone, in some parts of the world less than in others but I had noticed an improvement even in Romania. However, we can’t always get it our way. I’ve heard people saying they gave up on going out because everywhere they go, there are stairs and it’s frustrating having someone to help all the time. Getting away from your house as often as you can is something which will improve your confidence, social skills and lifestyle altogether a lot, so it’s important to find a way to deal with this issue. I have a few recommendations which may not work for everyone but I hope they help.

Now for the transport: You might already have an adapted car and a driver’s license so we got this out of the way. Or you have a friend who will pick you up. I pick up my friends too if they are in the way to the place where I want to go so that’s not necessarily a huge favor. And it’s always nice to all get there at the same time or at least get there in a group. If you decide to take a taxi, make sure the car will be able to transport you and your wheelchair/wheel walker/crutches or whatever you are using to move around. I often have drivers telling me they can’t pick me up because my stroller won’t fit in the back so it’s good to let them know in advance. Lastly, if you want to just take public transport, most countries have the buses and metro lines adapted, with elevators and all. Make sure that it’s all accessible, look it up on websites and you should be all fine.

Now for the location, one thing you can do is plan an event with your friends and make sure you choose the place. Or make sure you tell the friend who is supposed to organize the event that it is preferable that the place has good accessibility. There are tons of websites which will filter the inaccessible buildings for you so you can choose out of the ones you have full freedom with. The websites depend on each country, so just do a quick Google search looking for the key words: “accessible restaurants/bars/whatever place you want to go to in [your city]” (for cinemas, theatre and show venues, they should have this info clearly stated on their website and they’re usually fully accessible). Depending on where you live, this may not be too successful. Then the only thing you can do is look for options and then look the locations up online. It’s very much likely that these places all have websites, with photos and all. You should easily see if there are any stairs or if there is a ramp. You can even e-mail them and kindly ask them to give you more information. I always do this and I’ve never had issues.

If everything else fails and you will have to be carried or helped up stairs and inaccessible places and you are with friends or family, please remember that these people love you unconditionally and you should not feel ashamed or that you are a burden to them. If they want you around, they appreciate your presence there and would rather help you get around than not having you there. Just act casual about it and don’t overthink it. Sometime in life, they might need your help too one way or another, even if it is not of physical nature, like asking for an important advice or a favor. It is the same thing and should NOT make you want to stay at home instead of having some quality time with your loved ones.

Whatever you do, don’t forget that your social life and time spent with the people you love should not be affected by your physical impairment. You can always find a way around it. And ignore the stares you might get from others. Just imagine if blatant ignorance was visible, then we would all have something to look at too! The only ones that care is the ones who care about you and vice-versa. Strangers are people you will most likely never see again.

Seeing your situation realistically without demonizing it

I’m bad with titles but I hope you got the idea. Each and every one of us sees their life and situation in a certain way and we often tend to exaggerate it in a direction or another.

There are the people who see it as a blessing and a gift. Sure you would think this is a great way of dealing with it, but this way of thinking often leads the person into feeling superior and “special”. As I was saying before, no we are not special. This is our reality and it is the same reality around everyone else, we just do things differently. Our goal is to have a life as close to normal as possible. If you consider yourself some sort of elite and then complain about not having friends and blaming it on your disability, you may think again about it and reconsider your attitude towards others. We are all equal, we are not gifted, we are not blessed; at least not from this point of view. You may be gifted and blessed with a great sense of humor, musical talent, a high IQ, but not blessed with a medical condition. I’m sorry for being bluntly honest, but this way of thinking and acting won’t bring along anything good on the long run.

Then there are the people (most of the people) who are horribly unhappy with their situation and spend their lives crying and being depressed. It is normal to feel this way at times, but being always upset over it won’t make it better. It doesn’t help you or anyone around you. It makes you become unmotivated and you will literally waste your life just sitting and pitying yourself. Sure we all wish we didn’t have to deal with this, but it is what it is. Better think of all the things you can actually do? There is something for everyone, especially in this day of technology. Focus more on your family and job/school, get a hobby, learn a new skill (lots of online free learning websites for anything you can possibly think of). These things will make you feel like you are truly accomplishing something and not waste your life thinking of how your life would be if you were healthy.

I will at some point in the future make a big blog post regarding the many disabled people who changed the world one way or another. They found their way in life and if they could, then why couldn’t you? To give a fast example now, you all heard of Stephen Hawking. He’s brilliant and has achieved so so much. You don’t need a healthy body to reach the sky.

Also, no matter how rare or impossibly to fix disability you have, never stop checking the news in the medical field. The progress is so fast and mind blowing, in a few years we will be able to fix almost anything. Join communities, subscribe to websites, check news. Maybe the day will come. Never stop hoping and try to keep a realistic view on the things.

Look at yourself the way you would like others to see you

I said at the beginning of this blog, it’s all about the attitude. People might see at first sight a person in a wheelchair. Have a conversation with them and after a few minutes, they might just see in you a very awesome friend they would love to hang out with more.

The fact is, we are all different. Some of us have blue eyes, other have them brown or green, some are taller, others are shorter and the list could go on forever. Why not try to see the disability just as one of the things which makes each individual unique? I see people talking about it as the biggest curse in their life and not allowing them to enjoy life, and I see the people on the other extreme, who see it as some sort of blessing or a gift which makes them “special” – which is also bad sometimes, as these people tend to become solitary, since they are too “special” to be around other people. NO. We’re all NORMAL, in our own way. Normality is an abstract thing, and it’s different from individual to individual. Don’t make it a HUGE deal, either bad or good. It’s not a big deal, it’s like having blue eyes or blonde hair. It’s just who you are.

Also, when you meet someone new, DON’T talk over and over again about your condition. Talk about your interests, your hobbies, favorite TV shows, music, anything you would actually want to share with that person. Act natural, do small talk until you are being asked about it. Then kindly answer and give some background, but don’t turn it into a never ending talk. Not only that they might actually start looking at you in a different way (which you don’t want, if you want to have a normal social life), but some could even start feeling uncomfortable not knowing what to say. Usually, when I’m being asked about my own condition, after telling them briefly, I add “oh but don’t worry, it won’t ever stop me from doing anything I want to do.” I see people tend to become depressed after hearing stuff like that, and I wouldn’t want to have in front of me someone who’s depressed over my own issues. So they smile with me and then the conversation carries on changing the subject.

I like to think that none of my close friends ever considered me “the girl with the wheel walker”. People tend to even forget about it. However, make sure you let them know subtelly about your limits. For example, my boyfriend knows that I can’t go to a certain bar with him because it’s deep underground and has some horrendous stairs I can’t descend. But considering that some things are obvious, this shouldn’t be a problem. Just smile and let them know. Hey, there are lots of people who are lactose intolerant and can’t eat certain things, and let’s not forget the allergies some have, or even strange phobias, like fear of balloons! There’s nothing embarassing in not being able to do a certain thing or be in a certain place. Everyone has this issue at some point in their life, don’t let this make you scared of going out or being in a social environment. There are lots of things anyone can do.

In the end, I would just like to add that there are always exceptions: narrow-minded people who stare and refuse to see you as you are, and would rather resume at your physical condition… let’s say that they have a “twisted” view of what normality is. Those people are not worth to worry about, so carry on, enjoy life and let them live in their own little world filled with perfectly abled people. The will eventually end up being all alone and sad and wonder where they went wrong when they chose the people they thought they needed around. You don’t need those people, that’s a sure thing.

If anyone gets the movie refference, just “Smile and wave!” :)