In anticipation of the Summer Paralympic Games, we wanted to shine some light on a few of the adopted sports the athletes participate in. As you watch some of these events, take special note of how impressively the athletes adapt to their physical disability and have become the top athletes in the world at what they do. The adaptability is as impressive as the level of the competition itself, and here are some of the adapted sports to pay attention to this year.

Wheelchair Basketball

Basketball is a popular sport globally, and wheelchair basketball is no different. It’s widely regarded as one of the most noteworthy adapted sports that Paralympics participate in. The Paralympic athletes have gone from having to adapt using a wheelchair to moving around other athletes in a competitive game of basketball. Prepare to be amazed while watching these impressive athletes compete.

Cycling

The Paralympic Games have included cycling for more than 30 years and have evolved since then. The cycling competition classes include hand bikes, tricycles, bicycles, and tandem bikes.The athletes have an impressive skill of balance and strength to become the top cyclists in the world.

Swimming

Many of the athletes in the Paralympic Games became great swimmers because their rehabilitation process for their physical disability included swimming. The unique aspect of swimming as a Paralympic event is its inclusion of people with various disabilities other than people with a physical disability. There are classifications for people with intellectual disabilities, visual disabilities, and more to provide much more diversity and inclusion.

Tennis

Adapted tennis could be the most impressive Paralympic event you may watch. It’s very similar to tennis played at the Olympic Games, except the ball can bounce twice instead of once. Paralympic athletes have to have incredible strength and flexibility, and the equipment they use is equally as important. The personalized tennis wheelchairs fit the athlete’s skills to help them to move forward, backward, and make turns with ease.

How the Paralympic athletes perform at such high levels is impressive. Some of the other popular Summer Paralympic events include table tennis, wheelchair rugby, archery, rowing, powerlifting, fencing, and many more. Whether you are interested in a particular sport or not, it’s worth your time to tune in to different events and see the high level of competition in each one. Our team at Next Day Access will be watching, so contact us if you want to talk about some of the events or specific athletes.