PSYCHOLOGY OF ADAPTED SPORT

Differences between physical and intellectual disabilities (Paralympics vs. Special Olympics).

Adapted sport encompasses a broad spectrum that requires differentiated psychological approaches.

On the one hand, the Paralympic movement focuses on athletes with physical disabilities (motor, visual) under a model of high performance and competitive excellence.

On the other, the Special Olympics is oriented to people with intellectual disabilities, prioritizing participation, social inclusion and personal development over pure outcome.

To illustrate the difference: a wheelchair sprinter competing in the Paralympics trains with the same intensity, scientific rigor and pressure for gold as any Olympic athlete; his mental focus is on optimizing performance and overcoming rivals.

In contrast, in a Special Olympics event, an athlete with Down syndrome who participates in a track and field race may have as his or her primary goal the enhancement of self-esteem, interaction with others, and celebration of effort, where all participants are recognized for their worth, regardless of the timer.

Impact on identity and self-improvement

Sport acts as a powerful vehicle for the reconstruction of identity in people with acquired disabilities.

Following a life-altering accident or illness, sport offers an avenue to regain a sense of competence, control and purpose, challenging the "patient" or "victim" narrative.

Consider a former basketball player who suffers a spinal cord injury and becomes a paraplegic.

By taking up wheelchair basketball, he not only regains physical activity, but redefines his identity: he goes from being constrained by his chair to seeing himself as an athlete capable of agile and competitive maneuvers.

Another example is that of an elite fencer who, after a bus accident, transitions to wheelchair fencing, achieving international success.

In these cases, sport is not only physical rehabilitation, but also a psychological tool that allows transforming the trauma into a new form of excellence and social recognition.

Here you have the development of the points corresponding to Topic 15: Psychology of Injury and Retirement, applying the modificati