In a recent interview with Men’s Health, Paralympic athlete Curtis McGrath expressed his belief that merging the Paralympic and Olympic Games to run concurrently would offer significant benefits. He argued that this integration would not only boost commercial opportunities for para-athletes and sports but also enhance visibility, raise awareness, and inspire the next generation of para-athletes.
We spoke to the three-time paracanoeist, who took up the sport after losing both legs in a mine blast in Afghanistan, along with Commonwealth Games para-athlete Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker, in Paris earlier this year as part of BUPA’s ‘Picture of Health’ campaign.
‘We’ve already got two different games, two different times where you could have all the swimming together and other sports together at the start, and then do the athletics later on,’ says McGrath. ‘So we just swap and blend it all together as if it’s one Games, but split it down the middle in terms of dates and sports, rather than disability.’
McGrath adds that in his sport, at the international level, this approach is already standard and creates an inclusive atmosphere. ‘We do world champs on a year-to-year basis, we’re all together, we’re integrated into their programmes, we’re integrated in their broadcasting timings, we’re integrated into their podium ceremonies, we’re quite an inclusive sport, and I’m very lucky because I know that some sports are not like that’.
McGrath believes the success of this approach is a testament to the fact that division between non-disabled and para-athletes isn’t necessary and only acts to limit opportunities. ‘It sort of highlights barriers and issues that don’t need to be there. When you start separating things you’re sort of like “us and them”, commercial opportunities might be better in this zone [referring to non-disabled sport] so they start focusing on that zone.’
McGrath also believes that by running the Games concurrently – for example, all of the swimming events would run back-to-back on the same schedules, inclusive of both Paralympic and Olympic athletes – a greater opportunity for visibility and viewership will arise, which could have profound effects, especially for young disabled people.
‘I think it’s a great opportunity commercially, but also for humanity, to change perceptions, to show what’s possible, to get little Jimmy to see that he’s not the only person in a wheelchair or missing an arm or a leg,’ says McGrath. ‘Making the world better through sport. That’s what the Olympic and Paralympic Games is about’.
Commonwealth Games champion Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker added that dissolving the division between non-disabled and para-athletes wouldn’t just provide inspiration for aspiring disabled athletes, but everyone. ‘Because the Paralympics is separate from the Olympics, I feel like people don’t necessarily appreciate the Paralympics as much. But just watching the Paralympics, you think what have these guys gone through to get to this stage. You start to question the realm of possibilities – there’s so many things that can actually be achieved when you’re focused and when you put your mind to it’.
You can watch the full interview above, on the Men’s Health app, on YouTube, or on all major podcast platforms.
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With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
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