The Paralympic Games: Filled With Resilience and Hope for the Future

The U.S. Sitting Volleyball Team Won Gold at the Paralympic Games. Source: Team USA

The 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games concluded on September 5th, 2021 with 78 countries competing and — for the first time in its history — the inclusion of a Paralympic Refugee Team of six athletes. The Games were highly successful, yet mindful to observe and enforce the necessary safety regulations in order to safeguard against the spread of COVID-19. The Chinese Paralympic Team won the most overall medals (207) and the most gold medals (96) of this year’s Games. The Paralympic Teams for Great Britain, the United States, and the Russian Paralympic Team won total medals for second, third, and fourth places, respectively. 

I was fortunate to connect with Emma Schieck, a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) about her experience as a team member on the U.S Sitting Volleyball. Paralympic Team. Emma has been a national team athlete for 4 years and represented the United States in Paralympic Sitting Volleyball at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. She recalled her experiences in the Paralympic Village and what it was like to win gold with her team, experiencing difficulties and striving with perseverance towards a larger goal. According to Emma, the U.S. team was the favorite going into the games, they experienced a positive COVID-19 test with one of the coaches and two of the U.S. team members. There were concerns that they would not be able to compete and anxieties ran high as they experienced a loss to China (3-0) that “felt like a blowout.” Despite the obstacles they faced during their time competing, Emma and her team were able to “turn it all around and end up leaving with gold.” Emma’s paralympic experience is one of resilience in the face of possible defeat, reflecting the very nature of the Paralympic Games. 

The Paralympic Games have served as an empowering institution and community for resilient individuals who — against various odds —  have worked hard, as Emma says, to show that “sport can be for everyone.” During her time in the Paralympic Village, Emma met one of the track and field coaches of the refugee team and when asked about her thoughts about the inclusion of a refugee team. Emma commented to me in our conversation that “there has been a need for a refugee team for a long time.” The 2021 Paralympic Refugee Team was an amalgamation of athletes who had experienced violence and political unrest in their countries of origin. Schieck noted that athletes of all backgrounds and countries of origin have a rightful spot to compete in the Paralympics Games. She elaborated on the need to create a refugee team that is financially supported and has access to resources that allow them not solely be a part of the games but to have every ability to win. 

During her time in the Paralympic Village, Emma was able to connect with many athletes, each with unique stories of how they overcame in the face of adversity. Emma shared a story about a Paralympian she met named Justin Phongsavanh, who was competing in javelin for the first time at the Paralympic Games. Justin had been able-bodied for most of his life, but suffered a gunshot to the lower back and became paralyzed from the waist down. Not knowing what he wanted to pursue in life, Justin committed himself to train for the Paralympic Games and is now a Paralympic medalist and pursuing his Master’s in accounting. Justin’s story, like that of many Paralympians, highlights how “something so difficult and traumatizing can positively impact other facets of life.”

This year’s Paralympic Games faced new obstacles in ensuring everyone’s safety and wellbeing. Paralympians were unable to attend the opening or closing ceremonies and the former social experience of the Village dining hall had been reduced to plastic dividers between every seat. Despite these precautionary measures, the Paralympic athletes were able to be a part of the community by trading Paralympic pins with each other and receiving origami gifts from the locals in Japan. The Paralympic Games continued in its spirit of belonging and acceptance as the athletes were able to connect through what Emma described as a “common experience and shared identity.” The Paralympic Games serves an important role in redefining expectations around what it means to be an athlete and it is my hope that the inclusion of this year’s refugee team will be the first of many steps to ensure that all athletes have the resources and support to compete with others on the biggest stage in the world.