Disabled individuals are still able to play sports and can participate in the Paralympics. In an address, President Obama said, “Of course, we continue to be inspired by our Paralympians like Allysa Seely. Her doctors once said she might not walk again. Then she went out and won a triathlon. Sorry, doctors. Brad Snyder, Navy veteran, lost his eyesight to an IED in Afghanistan, went out and won three golds in the pool. Sergeant Elizabeth Marks, wounded in Iraq, still serves on Active Duty in our Army, does not hide her scars, just goes out and wins gold in the 100-meter breaststroke. That's what she does (2016, p. 2)”. The Paralympics are Olympics for athletes with disabilities. In 2016, the Paralympic team did just as well as the Olympic team. This shows that disabled athletes are able to play sports well.
ports played by disabled individuals can vary from the way able-bodied players do. The United States Power Soccer Association states, “During a game, the objective is to maneuver the soccer ball with the aid of a guard placed in front of the wheelchair through dribbling and passing skills (2017, p.1)”. Most disabled individuals do need some type of assistance in playing a sport. Such as: a guard, prosthetic, or wheelchair.
Along with requiring special objects to play sports, disabled athletes also need to eat differently as well. A study stated, “Athletes with SCI require attention to detail when it comes to nutrition because they are more susceptible to adverse health outcomes as a consequence of poor nutritional intake than their able bodied counterparts (Moulds, 2012, p. 30)”. SCI stands for Spinal Cord Injury and is a type of disability as it can cause loss of functionality in limbs. Disabled athletes have to watch what they eat more carefully, because they are susceptible to more health problems than non-disabled athletes. The study also states, “Those with SCI are a unique population with physiological and physical differences that dramatically affect cardiovascular control, body composition, and energy requirements (Moulds, 2012, p. 17)”. Athletes in general require different nutritional needs. For example, runners should eat more carbs and bodybuilders should eat more protein. Whenever anyone has a special need, their diet changes accordingly. If someone has a disability, they will eat differently than someone without.
In health class, we did a project on creating meals for a family member. We had to take into account their needs to create the meal. Everyone had different needs and all of their plates looked different. This rule applies to individuals with disabilities especially athletes.
The Paralympics and Nutritional Needs of Disabled Athletes