Athletes with Disabilities

Many disabled athletes around the world who succeed have continued to inspire and reach the hearts of many even with all the odds stacked against them. Last summer I had an incredible opportunity to work with children with disabilities at a fun week-long beach camp. While volunteering in the camp, I helped to encourage kids to go have fun paddle boarding and most awesome of all, jet skiing and more. These stories show us the experience of being part of incredible athletes with disabilities and how they have overcome major difficulties to get to where they are today. In doing so, these individuals have found happiness with who they are. Each and every day, we are inspired by athletes who compete at the professional level. While we admire every professional competitor, we are especially impressed by the amazing athletes who compete with disabilities. These people might describe themselves as looking different, but their hearts, aspirations, setbacks, and dreams have driven them to achieve anything at new levels as much as anyone else in the world today.

Bethany Hamilton

These individuals are different from one another in that each has a different life-altering story. From being born with a condition to having something happen, all of these athletes have found new ways of living and have not let their condition define or limit what they are capable of doing in life. Some of them were born with birth defects that resulted in lost limbs or paralysis. Others sustained life-altering injuries after serious accidents or after serving the U.S. in Iraq or Afghanistan. These people won’t let their disability get in their way. For example, while surfing in an area highly populated with sea turtles in Hawaii, a large tiger shark bit off professional surfer Bethany Hamilton’s left arm. However, she was back on the board only one month after the incident, showing the world that she pulled through and continued to do what she loved. Another example is of Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius who set world records in the Paralympics. Both of his legs were amputated below the knee due to fibular hemimelia at 11 months old. These individuals overcame their injuries to turn themselves into some of the best athletes in the world even after their lives changed forever.

Oscar Pistorius

Individuals in this group face day to day challenges that not all think about or ever imagine going through. Many face difficulties that come with negotiating the world with a disability. For example, in the article, “Living With a Disability,” by Melinda Smith, she says, “Many of the defining hardships include a physical environment that is not accessible, lack of relevant assistive technology, negative attitudes of people towards disability, and systems and policies that are either nonexistent or that hinder the involvement of all people with a health condition in all areas of life.” Many people don’t realize how hard these athletes work to overcome often multiple barriers that can make it extremely difficult for them to function. No one can truly understand the challenges these people face in athletics. Although, we all have moments when we have to face the music. We don’t get to choose those moments, we can only choose our response. Instead of backing down these individuals chose to rise up and out of what others thought impossible.

Today, society’s understanding of disability is improving as we recognize “disability” as what occurs when a person’s functional needs are not addressed in his or her physical and social environment (CITE). Stereotyping can have a profound negative effect on athletes with disabilities. Some may say that because of their lifestyle they will no longer be able to achieve many physical activities. Also, some feel it’s not appropriate for those who are physically impaired to participate in athletics. Others sometimes stereotype those with disabilities, assuming their quality of life is poor or that they are unhealthy because of their impairments. Prejudice, and discrimination can occur within society when certain attitudes may come from people’s ideas related to disability. For example, people may see disability as a personal tragedy, as something that needs to be cured or prevented, or as an indication of the lack of ability to behave as expected in society. inspirational stories are Time and time again, these individual athletes have adapted, and have proved the world wrong in succeeding in sports despite the odds.

Source: BrainyQuote

In encouraging these individuals, communities should raise awareness of the physically impaired and how setbacks have proven to not slow these athletes down. This would inspire others who face similar challenges to never give up. This would not only encourage these athletes to continue doing what they love, but to have a community stand behind them would make them feel empowering love. I, Isabella Gilmore can say to others that anything is possible because the word itself spells “I’m possible.”  

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Never Give Up!!