The paralympic endurance athlete

Since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we have seen a strong emphasis on the integration of Para sport within mainstream systems, and this is particularly true within performance sport settings. Many Paralympic performance programmes are now integrated with their Olympic counterparts and are better funded than ever before, and this has undoubtedly played a key role in the development of Para sport. While this integration is important, it may have some unintended negative consequences, particularly if there is a failure to recognise some of the key differences within Para sport. Integration must not come at the expense of the specific needs of Para athletes. Considerations for the physiological consequences of an athlete’s impairment and the interface between athlete and their equipment are paramount (e.g., prosthesis or wheelchair) (Dyer et al., 2022).[...]