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From a Table Tennis Player who plays with his mouth, to a mother of two who wins gold on her first time at the games, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games continues to inspire.

The Paralympics runs almost immediately after the Olympic games concludes, and this years Tokyo games has been no different.

Though it pales in comparison in terms of popularity to the Summer Olympics, it generates sufficient interest on its own accord as an independent sporting event.

The one thing that makes the Paralympics so special are the Athletes competing. Each Paralympian has a backstory, and many of them involve challenges that can provide a
perfectly rational excuse to simply give up on life.

Yet they choose to inspire, and thus become heroes in their own right. Some were literal heroes before they even took up the sport, as there are and have been a significant number of U.S war Veterans who have participated at the games.

Sport has been used by the U.S. armed forces as a way to rehabilitate its Veterans who may have suffered both physical and mental injuries during their time in active service. This rehabilitation program of course comes with increased attention to disabled sporting programs, giving the additional promotion and attention Veterans get over other disabled athletes.

But it's not just Veterans who benefit, as every athlete who competes gets a chance for their stories to be heard and shared.

Of course having a disability in the U.S.A is a lot better than having a disability in some of the Poorer nations on Earth. For some, sports has provided not just an avenue to rehabilitate and compete, but an offering for survival itself. Yet, they simply have been resolute in resolve to make something of themselves and inspire.

Uganda's first Paralympic Medalist, David Emong for instance spoke about his having to compete with able bodied athletes because of a lack of facilities and Support for sportsmen living with disabilities. These conditions often come with a stigmatization in poorer nations, and the only way to possibly reverse that trend would be for more inspiring athletes to burst into the scene.

Fearsome Talents

There are even some Paralympians who have been so talented to have crossed the mainstream and competed at the Olympics with able bodied athletes. In the same vein, some athletes with disabilities have competed at the Olympics and have never let their disabilities stop them.

For instance, Terrance Parkin from South Africa won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 200m breaststroke event despite being deaf.

The Paralympics has lacked a mainstream superstar that will bring more attention to the sport just like Usain Bolt did for Track and field during his active years. Perhaps with more crossover athletes who can compete at both the able bodied and Paralympic events, this will capture more attention.

Even if it doesn't, every paralympian is a hero regardless of who is watching, and rest assured people are inspired - be they a thousand or a million.