The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

Inspiration as a possible legacy for disabled Brazilians

Bibliographic Data

ID6144914
AuthorsDoralice Lange De Souza (0000-0001-7330-6156, Universidade Federal do Paraná, corresponding author), Ian Brittain (0000-0002-0590-4338, Coventry University)
Year2021
Volume19
Issue1
Pages78-93
Publication date2021-02-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal for Sport and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1613-8171 • E-ISSN: 2380-5919
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/16138171.2021.1879363
OpenAlexW3126446013
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited24

This work is part of a larger qualitative and exploratory study that investigated the legacies of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (PG) in Brazil. We conducted in-depth open interviews with 24 disability rights activists and people in Paralympic sport managerial positions. The goal of this paper is to explore one of the main perceived legacies: inspiration. For the participants, the PG were inspiring for disabled people (DP) because they showed the capabilities of DP, revealed new possibilities for their lives, and motivated them to engage in or remain engaged in sports. They were also inspiring for non-disabled people (NDP) because the examples of athletes ‘overcoming’ their impairments and related environmental and social barriers, motivated people to reconsider their own reality. While some participants criticised hero/super-hero narratives, most argued that these narratives are also common regarding NDP and that DP should not be treated differently. For them, these narratives still have some positive potential

Aesthetics · Art · Athletes · Disabled people · HERO · Literature · Media studies · Narrative · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Disability Rights and Representation · Gender Studies · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport · Medicine · Psychology · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts