Seven things Canadians should know about the Paralympic Games

1. What is Paralympic Sport?
   Paralympic sport is played by high performance athletes with a physical disability. There are 19 Paralympic summer sports -  athletics, archery, boccia, wheelchair basketball, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, goalball, judo, power-lifting, wheelchair rugby, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair tennis and volleyball - and five Paralympic winter Sports -  alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and biathlon, sledge hockey, wheelchair curling.

2. Who competes in Paralympic Sport?
   Athletes with the following categories of physical disability compete in Paralympic Sport
   • Amputee: Athletes with a partial or total loss of at least one limb.
   • Cerebral Palsy: Athletes with non-progressive brain damage, for example cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke or similar disabilities affecting muscle control, balance or coordination.
   • Spinal cord injury: Athletes with disabilities which require them to compete in a wheelchair.
   • Visually Impaired: Athletes with vision impairment ranging from partial vision, sufficient to be judged legally blind, to total blindness.
   • Les Autres: Athletes with a physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other five categories, such as dwarfism, multiple sclerosis or congenital deformities of the limbs such as that caused by thalidomide. (The name for this category comes from the French for the others).
     
     
3. How did Paralympic Sport start?
   The origins of the Paralympic Sport are in an annual competition that started at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, England. In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann created wheelchair sports to encourage English soldiers injured in the Second World War to become active as part of their rehabilitation.
   
   
4. What are Paralympic Games?
   The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport competition for elite athletes with a physical disability, held immediately following the Olympic Games and a direct "parallel" - hence the name. The first competition for athletes with a disability modeled on the Olympic Games was held in Rome, Italy, after the 1960 Olympic Games. This marked the start of the Paralympic Games.  The Paralympic Games have always been held in the same year as the Olympic Games. Since the Seoul 1988 Summer Games and the Albertville 1992 Winter Games, the Paralympic Games have followed the Olympic Games in the same city, and on June 19, 2001 an agreement was signed between IOC and IPC to continue this for all future Games
   
   
5. How do athletes with different physical disabilities compete fairly against each other in Paralympic Sport?
   Like wrestling, boxing and weightlifting, where athletes are grouped by weight classes, athletes with similar physical disabilities are grouped to compete against each other.
   The process, referred to as classification, is conducted by highly trained medical and technical experts who examine each athlete.
   
   
6. What is Canada’s track record in Paralympic Games?
   Canada is ranked 4th in the all time combined summer and winter Paralympic medal table - with 1097 medals, 404 gold, 338 silver and 355 bronze medals.
   • At summer Paralympic Games Canada has won a total of 997 medals (378 gold, 302 silver and 317 bronze) and is ranked the 3rd highest medal winning nation of all time.
   • At winter Paralympic Games Canada has won a total of 100 medals (26 gold, 36 silver and 38 bronze) and is ranked the 9th highest medal winning nation of all time.
   • At the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, Canada placed 7th with 50 medals (19 gold, 10 silver and 21 bronze) Canadian women won 31 medals, including 14 gold.
   • At the last Paralympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, Canada placed 6th overall with 13 medals, 5 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze.
     
     
7. How can I learn more, so I or someone I know can get involved?
   If you, or some you know has a disability visit www.feeltherush.ca to learn about the sports and find a local sporting organization where you can get involved.