Spirit in Motion

The Paralympics have come a long way since 1948. That’s when the International Wheelchair Games were organized in Stoke Mandeville, England, to get British war veterans with a spinal cord injury moving again.

Since then, as more countries joined in and the event evolved into the Paralympics, advances in technology allow athletes with disabilities to participate in a range of sports. At the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games March 12-21 in Vancouver, British Columbia, 500 athletes from 44 countries competed in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, sled (ice) hockey and wheelchair curling.

To increase awareness for these athletes, orthotic and prosthetic manufacturer Otto Bock and the International Paralympic Committee opened a special exhibit at this year’s event. Called “Spirit in Motion – Discover What Moves Us,” the exhibit traced the history of the Paralympics and included athletes’ stories and technology demonstrations.

“We think it’s really important to make sure people with mobility challenges are aware of what’s available, and people in general are aware of what opportunities are available,” says Karen Lundquist, North American director of corporate communications for Otto Bock HealthCare, Minneapolis.

One of the devices featured at the exhibit, the C-Leg, has revolutionized life not only for athletes but other amputees, Lundquist explains. The microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee, developed by Otto Bock in 1997, automatically adjusts according to the walker’s gait.

“It’s been transformative because it allows people to get around without having to think about it too much,” Lundquist notes.

One of the most popular demonstrations at the exhibit allowed visitors to sit in a real hockey sled and attempt to score a goal. They were rewarded with the sounds of a buzzer and roaring crowd.

Held in an igloo-like structure called the “Snow Dome,” the exhibit also included a number of videos (one showing a 50-year-old man playing ping pong with a paddle in his mouth) and profiles of athletes, such as a high-jumper missing one leg.

“We’ve heard a lot of ‘That’s amazing!’ and ‘I didn’t know how incredible these athletes are!’” Lundquist says. “It’s really a world-class competition.”