Disability sport came about largely because of exclusion, because mainstream sport didn't want disabled people to be part of it.
Interpretation
Disability sports emerged in response to the exclusion of disabled individuals from mainstream sports.
The quote highlights the historical context in which disability sports were developed, pointing to the exclusionary practices of mainstream sports that prevented disabled individuals from participating. This exclusion motivated the creation of specialized sports programs and events, allowing disabled athletes to compete and showcase their talents in a more inclusive environment.
In practice
In a speech about inclusivity in sports, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of making sports accessible to all.
Perhaps we need to redefine our idea of role models; they're not always elite athletes whose success might seem too distant or unachievable. Sometimes it's our friend who just smashed her first 10k, or our Zumba teacher who is enthusiastic, encouraging and real.
I wouldn't have had a sporting career if it hadn't been for the volunteers who agreed to coach me, as a teenager, growing up in south Wales, at a time when others were telling me that wheelchair racing wasn't really athletics.
As a disabled person I have to think and plan far more than anyone else. If I want to catch a bus I have to consider whether the ramp works, whether there will be someone in the one space who doesn't want to move. It can be a constant worry.
Golf is a puzzle without an answer. I've played the game for 40 years and I still haven't the slightest idea how to play.
If Id lived prior to the 1980s, it would have been different, because I would have been playing to prove African Americans are equal. Now, I dont necessarily feel I have to play for black people, because obviously theyre doing everything in all sports. If I can go out there and play for myself and not feel I have to stand for something other than what I want to do, thats good.
Many of those who have paid the ultimate price for freedom have come through the wrestling ranks. We need to honor them and win this decision to have wrestling - the world's oldest sport - remain a part of the most prestigious athletic competition in the world, the Olympics.
Baseball is a tongue-tied kid from Georgia growing up to be an announcer and praising the Lord for showing him the way to Cooperstown. This is a game for America. Still a game for America, this baseball!
Bondy is a city that breathes football.
Tennis was a white, upper-class sport, and I wanted it to be treated like other sports were.
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