SCRI – Athlete development in parasport: The Canadian Paralympian Project
Media visibility and representation of Paralympic athletes
Media often doesn’t accurately depict people with disabilities, perpetuating stereotypes and hindering their inclusion. This study examines how Spain’s National Broadcaster covered the Paralympic Games, aiming to understand how media representation influences perceptions of disability.
Navigating sponsorship challenges for Paralympic athletes
Did you know that Paralympic athletes’ portrayal as inspirational figures influences their sponsorship opportunities? But not all athletes fit into these narratives, leading to challenges securing sponsorships. The views shaping sponsor perceptions highlight inequalities in sponsor access based on athletes’ perceived inspiration levels, calling for inclusive sponsorship practices and intersectional research for fairer opportunities.
The history of Para sport in Canada
Canada has long been a leader in sport and recreation for persons with disability, and it is astounding to consider the contributions made in the last century. This is found in every aspect of disability sport including those for persons with intellectual impairment, mobility disabilities, and deafness. But for the purposes of this article, the…
Canadian Para Nordic skiers on multi-sport and athlete transfer
Robbi Weldon, Christina Picton and Cindy Ouellet have a collective 10 Paralympic appearances between them. All 3 women are multi-sport athletes from childhood and all 3 have represented Canada in Para nordic skiing. On the surface, their experiences with the Canadian Para sport system may seem similar. But what their stories show is that there…
No singular path through Para sport: Canadian Para nordic skiers on multi-sport and athlete transfer
This blog is a part of a series created in collaboration with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Paralympic Athlete Transfer Task Force, spotlighting the opportunities and challenges of Para athlete transfer and multi-sport participation. In 2006, Robbi Weldon came across a copy of Abilities Magazine. The front cover featured Para cyclist Brian Cowie and…
How “athlete transfer” is opening new avenues for development in Para sport
This blog is a part of a series created in collaboration with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Paralympic Athlete Transfer Task Force, spotlighting the opportunities and challenges of Para athlete transfer and multi-sport participation. When Richard Peter retired from wheelchair basketball following a gold-medal performance at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the then-40-year-old didn’t think a second career…
Lessons about mental health from the Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo
Highlights For athletes, coaches, and others who worked tirelessly to make the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games a success, the global COVID‑19 pandemic increased stress and added to the already pressure-packed environment. When USA Gymnastics legend Simone Biles put her mental health ahead of the competition, she elevated discussions around mental health to historic levels….
Beijing to Birmingham: Thinking outside the Para sport classification box
The Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games are in the books, with the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games (Beijing) and Commonwealth Games (Birmingham) just around the corner. Our 128 Canadian Paralympians competed in Tokyo, bringing home 21 medals. Canada’s team joined 4,275 high performance Para sport athletes from 62 countries for 12 days of competition in 22 Paralympic sports. Despite the unprecedented challenge of hosting…
Supporting athletes after the Games
After participating at an international competition or major games event such as the Paralympics, athletes may experience the “post-Games blues.” Research shows that support structures that include educational programs and resources are important to help Paralympic athletes transition to life post-Games.