By Marietta Reiling
Every four years, para-athletes break down barriers. But the real promise lies somewhere else.
Before getting the chance to volunteer at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, I barely knew the world of para-sports. Sure, you see two-minute highlights and medal tables every four years when the Paralympic Games are on TV. But like for most people, it wasn’t a world I had ever come into contact with. Behind the scenes, far from the roar of the stadium, I discovered a reality few get to see: underfunded grassroots programs, athletes that perform at the highest level of human ability whilst juggling a job just to train, and a spotlight that fades almost as soon as the Games end.
Sports have the power to change lives. That might sound like a cliché, but for many people with disabilities, sport can be a lifeline. Young para-athletes, for example, consistently report feeling more confident, more connected, and more at ease in their own bodies than peers who aren’t active in sport. One recent multi-nation study concluded that on a happiness scale of 7, para-athletes recorded their emotional rating nearly a whole point above that of non-athletes. But the benefits aren’t just psychological. As early as the 1990s, research already showed that wheelchair users who trained regularly had better cardiovascular health than those who didn’t, even when their training was light and not on a professional level. More recent studies confirm that physical activity delivers a wide range of health benefits for disabled adults, from improved cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength to gains in functional mobility crucial for everyday life.
But for these benefits to reach more people, sport needs more than passion — it needs visibility.
During the Games, Para-athletes are hailed as inspirational figures and national heroes. But outside that narrow window, many vanish from public view and so too does the funding.
“We don’t get enough coverage between Games — para-sport disappears for the years in between,” British cyclist and swimmer Sarah Storey and the UK’s most decorated female Paralympian told The Times after the Paris Games. “We have to train like we’re full-time, but we don’t get the coverage to bring finance into the sport that we need.”
Without visibility, making a living through sport becomes nearly impossible. But the lack of funds doesn’t just affect elite careers — it undermines the entire talent pipeline. For many young athletes, there’s simply no clear path forward. Scouts rarely visit grassroots clubs, accessible facilities are unevenly distributed, and federations often lack the resources to support and develop emerging talent. The result: fewer young people with disabilities are taking up competitive sport, not because they lack motivation, but because there is too little awareness and the system isn’t built to sustain them.
This is not an issue limited to a single nation. As discussions at the 2024 Inclusion Summit in Paris made clear, many countries struggle with long-term investment in para-sports. Infrastructure can vary widely by region and often depends on local benefactors and private funding. Meanwhile, disabled athletes are still far less likely to receive brand sponsorships than their non-disabled peers.
Still, some countries are actively working towards change. The UK, for example, shows what could be possible with long-term investment. British para-athletes left Paris 2024 with 162 medals, second only to China, thanks in part to long-standing financial support from UK Sport and the National Lottery all throughout this century. This money, however, does not just contribute to the medal table but also towards building barrier-free facilities, access to specialist coaching, and clear pathways for athlete development. Such infrastructure doesn’t just appear — it has to be built over decades. But it shows that with enough funding and vision, inclusion doesn’t have to be seasonal.
The real legacy of the Paralympics won’t be found in a single week of medals and headlines, but in what happens when the cameras leave. If we are to see para-sport at its best — as a driver of health, confidence, and community — we must invest in the places far from the spotlight: local clubs, training programs, and the beginnings of future champions. Because that’s where change begins. That’s where the story is. And that is where the true power of para-sport lies.
