As the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics are raging on, let’s take a look at the history of this grand event that celebrates the diversity of people all around the world. The modern day Paralympics started off as a wheelchair only competition that followed the 1960 Rome Olympics. There were 8 sports that were up for competition: Archery, Athletics, Dartchery, Snooker, Swimming, Table tennis, Wheelchair basketball and Wheelchair fencing. A total of 400 athletes competed and they represented 23 different countries.
The games started out as a friendly competition between veterans of World War 2, but it has grown to become a massive event with 28 total sports, 22 in the summer and 6 in the winter. A group of war veterans and civilians in 1948 decided to start the first ever wheelchair games in London. Many of the people who were injured during that time were presumed to be stuck in a hospital bed for the rest of their lives, however some were determined to get back to daily life even after life changing injuries. That is why the name paralympics carries so much meaning. It comes from the Greek word para which means beside and the word olympics so the name means that the games coexist side by side. With the uncertainty of the Covid it is a great endeavor that both the paralympics and olympics has successfully carried on the legacy of sportsmanship that both games represents.