Medical Support in the Paralympics

Careful health management is vital in the Paralympics because participating athletes have disabilities. In almost every Paralympic Games during the last decade, there have been athletes who experienced health problems. Athletes currently obtain medical certificates from a medical institution of their choice, but a centralized system should be organized with doctors who specialize in disabilities checking athletes’ health condition. Medical support for athletes should not be based solely on numerical data, and there is a pressing need to train specialists who can support athletes based on a strong knowledge of their individual health conditions.

Tasks for future Paralympics are developing sports for people with severe disabilities which can promote social participation, and increasing the participation of women. The level of competition is becoming higher, but the participation of people with severe disabilities and more women would be an active demonstration of the International Paralympic Committee’s motto, “Spirit in Motion”.

In recent years, the term “impairment” has become widely used to refer to disability.