Paralympic Games: Rethinking disability, diversity and human potential
By Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch and María Morena Vicente
We continue to cover the Paralympics as they provide a powerful platform to share individual stories that bring psychological barriers into focus.
These narratives reveal how to foster compassion at the same time we challenge the status-quo, the ableism paradigm and transform our ever-evolving perceptions of disability.
"Rising Phoenix," a 2020 documentary, captures the inspiring journeys of nine remarkable Paralympic athletes.
The film chronicles the lives and competitive experiences of legendary figures, including Bebe Vio (Italy), Ellie Cole (Australia), Jean-Baptiste Alaize (France), Matt Stutzman (USA), Jonnie Peacock (UK), Cui Zhe (China), Ryley Batt (Australia), Ntando Mahlangu (South Africa) and Tatyana McFadden (USA).
“If you are thinking everyday ‘why me?’, you will never go anywhere”, says Bebe Vio, Italian fencing team member who gives the film its name. Listen to her story:
She relates to the mythological phoenix, which is consumed by fire and then reborn. At just 11 years old, she was already competing at the national level when meningitis led to the amputation of her arms and legs.
Undeterred, her father affixed a foil to her stump, and she was soon ready to return to competition.
American archery competitor Matt Stutzman, born without arms, shares a powerful story in the film about meeting his prospective adoptive family.
During a lunch outing with their three other children to assess compatibility, his future siblings expressed their determination not to leave without him.
Stutzman’s family, much like others featured in the film, instilled in him the belief to strive for self-sufficiency.
For Stutzman, as for many athletes in the documentary, sports provided a sense of belonging and purpose.
A new series of stories is being released during the 2024 Paralympic Games. You can watch them on the official Paralympic Games YouTube channel.
Why these stories matter
By telling personal stories, we can break the cycle of psychic numbing surrounding critical issues like disability and discrimination. The narratives in Rising Phoenix showcase the remarkable resilience and achievements of Paralympic athletes, while also connecting to broader themes of identity, human rights, and the opportunities often denied to marginalized groups.
To better understand these dynamics, you can explore topics like the singularity effect and narrative empathy, which delve deeper into the intersection of compassion, identity, and human rights.
The article Statistics: A Short Story further complements these ideas, questioning the reduction of human suffering to mere numbers.
Like the documentary, it challenges societal views on disability, highlighting the boundless potential of those who defy adversity.
These narratives urge us to reconsider how we measure value, ability, and dignity—moving beyond statistics to recognize the full humanity in every individual.