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Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
It's our turn to take the main stage
August 13, 2024
it’s our turn to take the main stage
by Matt Haanappel

Summary
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are set to commence in three weeks, showcasing athletes with disabilities from around the world.
The Australian Olympic Team recently celebrated its most successful campaign, now shifting focus to the Paralympic athletes.
The games represent a significant shift in perceptions of disability sports, demonstrating inclusivity, innovation, and resilience.
Organisations like WynActive foster diverse and welcoming environments, promoting equality and respect in their communities.
The Paralympics challenge outdated views on disability and aim to build a society where everyone can succeed, regardless of ability.
In just three weeks, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will begin, uniting athletes from across the globe to demonstrate that success is possible for everyone, regardless of ability. While it’s important to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Australian Olympic Team, having just completed their most successful campaign to date—even surpassing the legendary Sydney 2000 Games—the time has come for a shift in focus. Now, it’s our moment. The Paralympic Games will be held at the same prestigious venues and attended by the same enthusiastic crowds as the Olympic Games. It’s noteworthy that the Paralympics have consistently been hosted in the same city as the Olympics since Rome in 1960, a tradition integral to the success of every Paralympic event.
Since the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the event has become the third most-watched sporting spectacle worldwide, trailing only the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. This rise in viewership, especially noticeable in Australia where the Paralympics first “went commercial” in 2016, signifies a major shift in global perspectives on disability sports—elevating it from the periphery to the forefront.
Athletes today are not defined by their disabilities; rather, they are admired for their talents, perseverance, and challenge of societal constraints.
Matt Haanappel OAM PLY (Aquatics and Community Participation Manager)


Historically, the Paralympics have been regarded as secondary, a mere accompaniment to the Olympics, even as recently as the Athens 2004 Games. However, the Tokyo Games and the upcoming Paris 2024 edition highlight a significant transformation. Today, the Games have truly embodied their name, ‘Parallel’ to the Olympics, and since 2020, finally achieving equal footing with the Olympics. Marking a new era in sports where the accomplishments of athletes with disabilities are acknowledged and celebrated.
Ludwig Guttmann, the German-British neurologist and “father of the Paralympics,” believed in the power of sport for people with disabilities, noting that it was a natural progression to start a sports movement for them. Guttmann would be immensely proud of the evolution of the Stoke Mandeville Hospital Games and the transformative impact they’ve had globally. On behalf of all Paralympians, both past and present, I thank Guttmann for his inspiring vision. Athletes today are not defined by their disabilities; rather, they are admired for their talents, perseverance, and challenge of societal constraints.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will showcase that the spirit of competition and pursuit of excellence are universal, regardless of physical or cognitive differences. This message extends beyond sports, echoing societal values of inclusivity and equality. The Paralympics do more than just celebrate elite sportsmanship; they challenge the prevailing narratives about disability. Too often, people with disabilities are seen either as sources of inspiration or are disregarded entirely. Although well-meaning, these views can limit understanding and recognition of the diverse and rich identities of those with disabilities. The Paralympics dispel these outdated notions by portraying athletes with disabilities as they truly are; competitors, equals, and dedicated individuals reaching the peak of their sports.

