The Parapan Am Games will launch on August 7th in Toronto. The Games will feature 1,608 athletes from 28 countries competing in 15 sports.
Dr. Gaétan Tardif , President, Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Program Medical Director, Toronto Rehab, talks about what it means for Canadian athletes to compete in Toronto. He encourages everyone to experience some Paralympic sports.
The PAR-QoL Team wishes all the athletes a good competition!
To learn more about the Parapan Am Games, click here
Interesting facts about the Parapan Am Games?
1. The word “Paralympic” derives from the Greek preposition “para” (meaning beside or alongside) and the word “Olympic,” illustrating how the two movements exist side by side.
2. Swimming is one of the longest-standing sports for athletes with a disability, and has been part of the Paralympic Games since their inception in 1960.
3. Wheelchair rugby is a Canadian invention started by a group of individuals with quadriplegia who were looking for a sport where athletes with reduced hand and arm function could excel.
4. These Games are the first time that the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team will be at the Parapan Am Games. The men’s team won a medal in the 2011 games and will be looking to repeat their success.
5. Goalball is played exclusively by athletes with visual impairments, using a ball with bells inside. It was invented for soldiers who had lost their vision in World War II and has no Pan Am Game equivalent.
6. Boccia is a game of skill, accuracy and strategy originally designed for athletes with cerebral palsy but is now also open to athletes using assistive devices. It requires extreme concentration and muscle control.
7. In a blend of speed, skill and power, table tennis is open to athletes with physical impairments, competing in either standing or sitting classifications.