Categories: Sports

My Brain Can’t Handle These 17 Very, Very, Very, Very Interesting Facts About The Paralympics

The name “Paralympics” means something different than you think.

Paralympics season is upon us, and I, for one, am super excited about it! It’s safe to say the Paralympics deserve more hype, so I’ve done my research. Here are some fascinating facts about the history of the Paralympics, and then a few fun tidbits about the 2024 Games:

Twitter: @gmbarnard22

1. The Paralympics started as a game in a military hospital to try and help paraplegic patients — who were all World War II veterans — get better quickly.

Keystone-france / Getty Images

This was in 1948 in London, and the idea can be traced back to a neurologist named Sir Ludwig Guttmann.

2. You might be wondering why the Paralympics are called that — and it’s not what you might think. “Para” means “alongside” in Greek, and the Paralympics are alongside the Olympics. Get it?

Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Clever, I know.

3. The Paralympics used to only allow athletes in wheelchairs to compete, but the rules changed in 1976, when people with other disabilities were included.

Brian Bahr / Getty Images

4. Wheelchair rugby used to be called “murderball” because of how intensely the wheelchairs sometimes smash into each other. (Yes, seriously.)

David Ramos / Getty Images

5. There are 2 sports that take place at the Paralympics exclusively! They’re called boccia and goalball.

Michael Steele / Getty Images

6. In para archery, people who don’t have use of their hands or arms can (and have, several times) shoot with their feet.

Dennis Grombkowski / Getty Images

This is so skilled, I’m actually shocked at how amazing this is.

7. For blind football and goalball, you might be wondering how exactly athletes know where the ball is if they can’t see it. Well, the ball is made with bells inside of it, so athletes have to listen to where the ball is.

Tom Shaw / Getty Images

Also, the athletes in blind football and other blind sports wear blindfolds to ensure the game is fair, because of course, lots of visually impaired people have remaining vision.

8. Sitting volleyball is literally played sitting — not in wheelchairs, but on the ground. Athletes have to leave their wheelchairs on the side.

Elsa / Getty Images

9. In wheelchair basketball (one of my favourite events, I’ll have you know), the hoop is just as high as it is in regular basketball — 3.05 meters from the ground! So they play the exact same game as nondisabled athletes, just in wheelchairs.

Defodi Images / Getty Images

And now, some fun facts specifically about this year’s Paralympics:

11. Also, this year broke the record for most female athletes at the Paralympics — there are 1,983 women competing this year, which is 45% of the total athletes.

Michael Reaves / Getty Images

In comparison, at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, the ratio was 42%, with 1,846 women competing.

12. Phryges, the mascots for both the Olympics and Paralympics, look like this — and they’re seen walking around during the Games (like in the middle of the athletes’ parade). They also covered a car with Phryges just for the Paralympic Games.

Kevin Voigt / Getty Images

Where can I get myself a ride like that?

13. The tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash, which happened in Saskatchewan in 2018, left 16 people killed and 13 injured — and it was a huge tragedy for all of Canada. One of the athletes injured in the crash, Jacob Wasserman, is competing in the Paralympics for the first time this year.

Andre Ringuette / Getty Images

Wasserman will be competing in rowing, so keep an eye out for him!

14. For the Triathlon event this year, the Paralympic organizers switched around the dates last-minute. Why? Because of water quality problems in the Seine river. They had to cancel a pre-Olympics swimming event last summer because of sewer issues, too (I know, ew), so clearly this is a recurring problem.

Alex Pantling / Getty Images

So instead of the 11 events being across two days, they had to essentially squish the plans into one day, Sept. 1.

15. Adorable Olympics-Paralympics couple alert!! Tara Davis-Woodhall, an American athlete who won gold in women’s long jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is married to Paralympian and silver medalist Hunter Woodhall.

Patrick Smith / Getty Images

Woodhall won his silver medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics for the 200-meter T44. He also has two bronze medals.

16. The youngest Paralympic athlete this year is swimmer Iona Winnifrith, who is 13. She won two gold medals at this year’s World Para Swimming Championships, too, and she’s ready to make a splash at the Paralympics. (OK, sorry, that was bad).

Morgan Harlow / Getty Images

To put that into perspective, she was born in 2011. Feel old yet?!?

17. Jürgen Klopp is one of the top football (soccer) managers in the world — you might know him from managing the Liverpool Premier League Team — and he came to the 2024 Paris Paralympics to watch his friend Wojtek Czyz compete in para badminton. Adorable!!!

Fiona Goodall / Getty Images

Czyz (left) is German, and used to be a professional football player until his injury in 2001. The two athletes met in rehab after Czyz’s injury.

SO COOL, right? Are you as excited as I am now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And before I forget, make sure you follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram for more!

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My Brain Can’t Handle These 17 Very, Very, Very, Very Interesting Facts About The Paralympics

Paralympics season is upon us, and I, for one, am super excited about it! It’s safe to say the Paralympics deserve more hype, so I’ve done my research. Here are some fascinating facts about the history of the Paralympics, and then a few fun tidbits about the 2024 Games:

1. The Paralympics started as a game in a military hospital to try and help paraplegic patients — who were all World War II veterans — get better quickly.

2. You might be wondering why the Paralympics are called that — and it’s not what you might think. “Para” means “alongside” in Greek, and the Paralympics are alongside the Olympics. Get it?

3. The Paralympics used to only allow athletes in wheelchairs to compete, but the rules changed in 1976, when people with other disabilities were included.

4. Wheelchair rugby used to be called “murderball” because of how intensely the wheelchairs sometimes smash into each other. (Yes, seriously.)

5. There are 2 sports that take place at the Paralympics exclusively! They’re called boccia and goalball.

6. In para archery, people who don’t have use of their hands or arms can (and have, several times) shoot with their feet.

7. For blind football and goalball, you might be wondering how exactly athletes know where the ball is if they can’t see it. Well, the ball is made with bells inside of it, so athletes have to listen to where the ball is.

8. Sitting volleyball is literally played sitting — not in wheelchairs, but on the ground. Athletes have to leave their wheelchairs on the side.

9. In wheelchair basketball (one of my favourite events, I’ll have you know), the hoop is just as high as it is in regular basketball — 3.05 meters from the ground! So they play the exact same game as nondisabled athletes, just in wheelchairs.

And now, some fun facts specifically about this year’s Paralympics:

11. Also, this year broke the record for most female athletes at the Paralympics — there are 1,983 women competing this year, which is 45% of the total athletes.

12. Phryges, the mascots for both the Olympics and Paralympics, look like this — and they’re seen walking around during the Games (like in the middle of the athletes’ parade). They also covered a car with Phryges just for the Paralympic Games.

13. The tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash, which happened in Saskatchewan in 2018, left 16 people killed and 13 injured — and it was a huge tragedy for all of Canada. One of the athletes injured in the crash, Jacob Wasserman, is competing in the Paralympics for the first time this year.

15. Adorable Olympics-Paralympics couple alert!! Tara Davis-Woodhall, an American athlete who won gold in women’s long jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is married to Paralympian and silver medalist Hunter Woodhall.

16. The youngest Paralympic athlete this year is swimmer Iona Winnifrith, who is 13. She won two gold medals at this year’s World Para Swimming Championships, too, and she’s ready to make a splash at the Paralympics. (OK, sorry, that was bad).

17. Jürgen Klopp is one of the top football (soccer) managers in the world — you might know him from managing the Liverpool Premier League Team — and he came to the 2024 Paris Paralympics to watch his friend Wojtek Czyz compete in para badminton. Adorable!!!

SO COOL, right? Are you as excited as I am now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And before I forget, make sure you follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram for more!

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My Brain Can’t Handle These 17 Very, Very, Very, Very Interesting Facts About The Paralympics

Paralympics season is upon us, and I, for one, am super excited about it! It’s safe to say the Paralympics deserve more hype, so I’ve done my research. Here are some *fascinating* facts about the history of the Paralympics, and then a few fun tidbits about the 2024 Games:

1. The Paralympics started as a game in a military hospital to try and help paraplegic patients — who were all World War II veterans — get better quickly.

2. You might be wondering why the Paralympics are called that — and it’s not what you might think. “Para” means “alongside” in Greek, and the Paralympics are alongside the Olympics. Get it?

3. The Paralympics used to only allow athletes in wheelchairs to compete, but the rules changed in 1976, when people with other disabilities were included.

4. Wheelchair rugby used to be called “murderball” because of how intensely the wheelchairs sometimes smash into each other. (Yes, seriously.)

5. There are 2 sports that take place at the Paralympics exclusively! They’re called boccia and goalball.

6. In para archery, people who don’t have use of their hands or arms can (and have, several times) shoot with their feet.

7. For blind football and goalball, you might be wondering how exactly athletes know where the ball is if they can’t see it. Well, the ball is made with bells inside of it, so athletes have to listen to where the ball is.

8. Sitting volleyball is literally played sitting — not in wheelchairs, but on the ground. Athletes have to leave their wheelchairs on the side.

9. In wheelchair basketball (one of my favourite events, I’ll have you know), the hoop is just as high as it is in regular basketball — 3.05 meters from the ground! So they play the exact same game as nondisabled athletes, just in wheelchairs.

And now, some fun facts specifically about this year’s Paralympics:

11. Also, this year broke the record for most female athletes at the Paralympics — there are 1,983 women competing this year, which is 45% of the total athletes.

12. Phryges, the mascots for both the Olympics and Paralympics, look like this — and they’re seen walking around during the Games (like in the middle of the athletes’ parade). They also covered a car with Phryges just for the Paralympic Games.

13. The tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash, which happened in Saskatchewan in 2018, left 16 people killed and 13 injured — and it was a huge tragedy for all of Canada. One of the athletes injured in the crash, Jacob Wasserman, is competing in the Paralympics for the first time this year.

15. Adorable Olympics-Paralympics couple alert!! Tara Davis-Woodhall, an American athlete who won gold in women’s long jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is married to Paralympian and silver medalist ​​Hunter Woodhall.

16. The youngest Paralympic athlete this year is swimmer Iona Winnifrith, who is 13. She won two gold medals at this year’s World Para Swimming Championships, too, and she’s ready to make a *splash* at the Paralympics. (OK, sorry, that was bad).

17. Jürgen Klopp is one of the top football (soccer) managers in the world — you might know him from managing the Liverpool Premier League Team — and he came to the 2024 Paris Paralympics to watch his friend Wojtek Czyz compete in para badminton. Adorable!!!

SO COOL, right? Are you as excited as I am now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And before I forget, make sure you follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram for more!

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John Lennon named The Beatles member he feared would ‘end up poor’

Paralympics season is upon us, and I, for one, am super excited about it! It’s safe to say the Paralympics deserve more hype, so I’ve done my research. Here are some fascinating facts about the history of the Paralympics, and then a few fun tidbits about the 2024 Games:

15. Adorable Olympics-Paralympics couple alert!! Tara Davis-Woodhall, an American athlete who won gold in women’s long jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is married to Paralympian and silver medalist Hunter Woodhall.

16. The youngest Paralympic athlete this year is swimmer Iona Winnifrith, who is 13. She won two gold medals at this year’s World Para Swimming Championships, too, and she’s ready to make a splash at the Paralympics. (OK, sorry, that was bad).