Meg Pelly's Sports Blog

Since the beginning of class, there are several important things I have learned about disabilities and sports and how they impact the world of sports around us.   Learning about adaptive sports has been the most impactful to me. As an athlete for all my life, I couldn’t imagine sports not being accessible to everyone. They have shaped me into the person that I am today, and everyone deserves the opportunity to compete. The Paralympics and the Special Olympics open doors for athlete of all calibers to compete. In their own ways, these organizations play a large role in inclusivity of athletes with disabilities or impairments.  I have learned all about the Paralympics this semester and their origin from the Stoke Mandeville Games and Dr. Ludwig Guttman in 1948. It started as a rehabilitation program for those disabled from WWII but eventually grew into the games that we love and know today.  The Special Olympics originated in the 1960s which started as a camp for those wi...

  The decision to ban Russia and Belarus from recent Paralympic Games has been highly controversial, raising important questions about fairness, politics, and the values of international sport.   On one hand, the  International Paralympic Committee (IPC)  promotes inclusion, equality, and the celebration of athletes with disabilities. On the other hand, the IPC also has a responsibility to uphold ethical standards and respond to global events that threaten peace and human rights. It is tough job that the IPC has to uphold these standards and ensure fair play. Banning Russian and Belarusian athletes may seem harsh, especially since many of them have no control over their own government’s actions. Athletes from both countries train for years to earn a spot at the Paralympics and being denied that opportunity because of their country’s actions seems unfair.  At the same time, allowing them to compete under their national flags while their governments are engaged i...

The debate of whether the Special Olympics should stay separate from the Paralympics, and whether or not individuals with intellectual disabilities ought to be blanketed within the Paralympic Games, brings up many issues surrounding equity, inclusion, and the motive of game. The Special Olympics and the Paralympics were created for two very important but different purposes. The Special Olympics  creates a focus on inclusion, personal growth, and community for individuals with intellectual disabilities of all talent degrees. It is more about the participation of these athletes rather than the competitive nature of elite sports. In comparison, the Paralympics is a global, high-level competition for athletes with physical, visual, and in some cases, intellectual impairments. The Paralympics serves to showcase the talent of these elite athletes on a larger stage and places an emphasis on performance.  Because their desires and audiences are different, it makes sense for the Speci...