Living a Full and Happy Life With Wheelchair Sports
It hasn't been far back in our past when people thought that handicapped individuals, such as those confined to wheelchairs, didn't have either the desire or ability to participate in sports.
Public awareness was piqued when Eunice Shriver started the a day camp in 1962 to help children with disabilities explore sports and found that they were both eager to participate and had a lot of athletic talents.
Mrs.
Shriver was foresighted enough to realize that thousands of people around the world were missing out on some of life's most pleasurable activities.
From that humble beginning, Special Olympics have spread throughout the world, and wheelchair sports have become venues where disabled athletes can shine.
It's sad to think about how many disabled individuals were historically denied the rights enjoyed by everyone else.
All throughout history you will find cases of handicapped people being shut away in institutions where they vegetated until they died.
Its only been in the past few decades that we have begun to acknowledge that disabled doesn't mean stupid or lacking in capabilities.
No one wants to spend their lives sitting in dark corners, and these people want the chances to live with the dignity and independence that sports afford for them.
I used to work with a group of high school students in wheelchairs.
Even though many of them were unable to speak, it was easy to see that they wanted to be just like everyone else.
Jason was a real jokester, Brian loved flirting with the girls, and Lisandro enjoyed being part of a boisterous group of laughing teens.
All three of these guys enjoyed playing in wheelchair sports in the Special Olympics, too.
Their eyes would light up when you mentioned the words to them.
It was important to their well-being to be able to be successful at something.
Success in wheelchair sports can't be measured in the same way as it can in regular sports, by who wins or loses a game.
In Special Olympics, success is measured by meeting challenges head on, having other people cheer you on, and learning to do something just a little bit better today.
Success means being just like everyone else and allowed to express the things that make you unique.
Success is also being given the opportunity to try.
Public awareness was piqued when Eunice Shriver started the a day camp in 1962 to help children with disabilities explore sports and found that they were both eager to participate and had a lot of athletic talents.
Mrs.
Shriver was foresighted enough to realize that thousands of people around the world were missing out on some of life's most pleasurable activities.
From that humble beginning, Special Olympics have spread throughout the world, and wheelchair sports have become venues where disabled athletes can shine.
It's sad to think about how many disabled individuals were historically denied the rights enjoyed by everyone else.
All throughout history you will find cases of handicapped people being shut away in institutions where they vegetated until they died.
Its only been in the past few decades that we have begun to acknowledge that disabled doesn't mean stupid or lacking in capabilities.
No one wants to spend their lives sitting in dark corners, and these people want the chances to live with the dignity and independence that sports afford for them.
I used to work with a group of high school students in wheelchairs.
Even though many of them were unable to speak, it was easy to see that they wanted to be just like everyone else.
Jason was a real jokester, Brian loved flirting with the girls, and Lisandro enjoyed being part of a boisterous group of laughing teens.
All three of these guys enjoyed playing in wheelchair sports in the Special Olympics, too.
Their eyes would light up when you mentioned the words to them.
It was important to their well-being to be able to be successful at something.
Success in wheelchair sports can't be measured in the same way as it can in regular sports, by who wins or loses a game.
In Special Olympics, success is measured by meeting challenges head on, having other people cheer you on, and learning to do something just a little bit better today.
Success means being just like everyone else and allowed to express the things that make you unique.
Success is also being given the opportunity to try.
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