The History of Wheelchair Athletics

While many people think a catastrophic injury is the end of any possible sports career, wheelchair athletes are proving this wrong. Wheelchair athletics has dramatically increased in popularity in recent decades, progressing from the standard wheelchair basketball games to more unconventional extreme sports.

Wheelchair athletics: The history

Wheelchair athletics became mainstream in 1956 with the creation of the National Wheelchair Athletic Association. It was inspired by the needs of the many injured World War II veterans who were returning from the battlefield and looking for an athletic outlet. At the time, basketball was the only wheelchair sport that had gained widespread acceptance. Even access to wheelchair basketball was limited only to athletes who had suffered injuries below the waist that left them unable to walk. This excluded quadriplegics who may have suffered a spinal injury that led to their disability.

Wheelchair athletics: Expanding its offerings

The creation of the National Wheelchair Athletic Association removed a lot of the restrictions imposed by the hospital-sponsored wheelchair basketball teams of the past. In addition to being open to injured war veterans, the NWAA welcomed female members as well, being the first wheelchair athletic group to permit women to compete on a regular basis. To expand its selection of available wheelchair sports, the NWAA added track and field events like the javelin, shot put, or archery. These days, wheelchair athletics covers a variety of sports, including tennis, golf, and swimming. In 1994, the NWAA changed its name to Wheelchair Sports, USA.

Wheelchair athletics: Extreme sports

Outdoor and extreme sports have recently become popular forms of wheelchair athletics. Another wheelchair athletics organization, Disabled Sports USA focuses more on unconventional sports like snowboarding, skiing, cycling, hiking, hunting, fishing, kayaking, or waterskiing. Some types of martial arts have even opened their doors to wheelchair-bound athletes. One sport that might seem inappropriate for wheelchair athletics is rugby, but it has gained significant popularity since the Oscar-nominated film Murderball.

Wheelchair athletics: How to get started

If you are interested in participating in wheelchair athletics, you must first consider the types of activities you are physically capable of doing. Be honest with yourself about your limitations, especially if you are venturing into extreme wheelchair sports. You do not want to be on top of the mountain and realize that you really are not strong enough to snowboard, for example. Of course, check with your doctor before beginning any type of wheelchair athletic program. Once you know your capabilities, finding a sport that interests you is as simple as surfing through a few websites and locating a program near you.