The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games concluded on Sept. 8th, featuring 4,400 athletes from 184 delegations over 12 days of competition. This year, athletes competed in 22 sports, including para table tennis, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and blind football. Team USA participated in 20 of these sports, finishing third overall in the medal standings with 105 medals—36 gold, 42 silver and 27 bronze.

One of UHS’s favorite Paralympians was Ezra Frech, a two-time gold medalist in track and field. In Paris 2024, Frech took home two gold medals, one in the men’s 100-meter T63 and the other from the high jump T63. He has also announced his goal of becoming a third-time medalist at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, which will be held in his hometown.

“He’s only a year older than me, and he’s literally a star on the track,” senior Chloe Yang said.

While Team USA has historically dominated the top placements in the Olympic Games, it seems to be lagging in medal counts for the Paralympics. This year, the U.S. finished third behind China and Great Britain. One reason suggested for the U.S.’s relatively modest results in the Paralympics is the lack of media exposure. 

“I knew that the Paralympics was taking place,” senior Mars Sui said. “But I wasn’t able to watch them because my family wasn’t subscribed to the channel that showed Paralympics.”

In contrast, other nations like the UK have increased the Paralympic broadcasting hours to approximately 1,300 live hours, providing platforms to watch free of charge. NBC in the U.S. has only recently begun to expand its length of coverage, increasing its broadcasting hours to approximately 140 hours. The Paralympics’ viewing rate continues to lag behind the Olympic Games’ viewing rate. 

“I think it’s important to create more opportunities where people can appreciate others for their strengths and talents,” junior Avril Zhang said. 

The Paralympic Games is not only a competition for high-achieving individuals but also an opportunity to amplify the voices of disabled individuals and their talents. The competition encourages audiences globally to recognize the value of every individual, regardless of their physical ability.