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ISSUE № 16, SEPT 2015
Disabilities in Sport: Making Room for Inclusion
Sport is for everyone; sport is one of few things in this world that is capable of touching each individual across all continents of the globe. Sport teaches us life lessons and gives us life experiences that can only be found by some form of participation. No matter the physical or mental disability no one should ever be deprived of the right of participation. Active
sport helps both physical health levels and fitness levels for even those with such disadvantages. The added advantage of
the interaction with others is also a plus whilst competing in the various hobbies that they love. From high school sports to the Special Olympics,
sport has made great strides in providing opportunities for All Inclusion.
In a touching story from El Paso, Texas, as reported by Huffington Post’s Cavan Sieczkowski, there was an incident where a basketball fan with a
developmental disability, had a dream come through. Mitchell Marcus, a high school student, has always supported his team through thick and
thin. Given his condition however, he was not able to play many games. During the final 90 seconds of the season, Marcus was given the chance to
play. After taking a shot, which kept both the home, and away fans on the edges of their seats, Marcus hit rim. In what was to be deemed the Play
of the Year by NBC Southwest, an opposing player deliberately threw the ball for Marcus with 9 seconds to go, and in a final display of dedication
Mitchell shot, and scored which sent both fans in to frenzy.
Then there is the case of professional snowboarder, and Paralympic bronze medalist Amy Purdy. In her teenage years, she contracted bacterial
meningitis, and was forced to lose her legs. After her recovery, Purdy began snowboarding as
a hobby, while excelling. Purdy won competitions while gaining recognition in the snowboarding world. This encouraged the Challenged Athletes Foundation to offer Purdy grants
to continue developing and partaking in competitions across The United States.
Both Purdy and Marcus have both gone above and beyond in their respective fields, by excelling and leading the way in proving that despite any physical or mental disability, where there
is will – There is a way! By Nathaniel Luke
Cited: Sieczkowski, Cavan. 'WATCH: A High School Basketball Story That Will Make You Cry'. The
Huffington Post. N.p., 2015