Paralympic Games

Hot Entertainment: Meet Sumi

See Sumi out and about during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, on from Mar. 12 to 21

With a name that derives from a Salish word meaning “guardian spirit,” it’s no wonder Sumi, the mascot for the Paralympic Games, takes on the role of protector. This little character has big shoes to fill: he’s an animal spirit who walks with the sturdy legs of a bear, possesses the powerful wings of the mythical thunderbird and wears the hat of the orca, known to First Nations as the keeper of the sea. Outfitted in fern green, his favourite colour, Sumi spends time skiing and flying above the mountains in Whistler, where he makes his home.—Kristina Urquhart

What’s the Difference?

Confused about the types of events? Read on

by Kristina Urquhart

The world’s most elite sporting competition is also arguably the oldest: an ancient version of the Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. In 393 A.D., the Games—believed by then to be a “pagan cult”—were banned until the first modern Olympic Games in the summer of 1896. Today, able-bodied athletes participate in the 26 summer sports and 15 winter sports, but athletes with disabilities are also eligible.

Ice sledge hockey. Photo courtesy Tourism BC

Like the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games are also held every two years, alternating between summer and winter competitions. These Games offer Olympic-style sports (20 in summer and five in winter) for athletes with a physical or visual disability; thus able-bodied athletes are not eligible to compete. The first official Paralympic Games were held for athletes with spinal-cord injuries in 1960, and 1976 saw the inclusion of athletes with other disabilities.

Often confused with the Paralympic Games, the Special Olympics, founded in 1968 by philanthropist Eunice Kennedy Shriver, are open to athletes with intellectual disabilities. Keeping with Games tradition, the Special Olympics World Games are held every two years, alternating between summer and winter competitions; however, there are also regular contests at local, regional and national levels in more than 150 countries around the world.

If you just can’t get enough of the competitive spirit, tune in to the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, for athletes aged 14 to 18, in Singapore from Aug. 14 to 26.