Mount Hood

NCAA women’s basketball champions

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

The University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball program recently beat the University of Iowa, clinching their third national title and second title in three years. After losing to Iowa in the Final Four last season, the South Carolina Gamecocks have not lost a game since — the tenth perfect season in National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s basketball history. 

Iowa started in the lead for the game, with Caitlin Clark adding 18 points on the board for Iowa and another record to her name. Clark was the NCAA Division One all-time point scorer across both men’s and women’s basketball. 

But even Clark could not stop the powerhouse that was the Gamecocks’ basketball program. After ending the first half up by three, South Carolina paced the game and Iowa could not pull ahead. Some South Carolina players called the road to the championship a “revenge tour.”

Tess Johnson led the Gamecocks with 19 points on the night, but senior Kamilla Cardoso was truly the most valuable player of the game, boasting a double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds. Te-Hina Paopao and Chloe Kitts both followed closely with 14 and 11 points on the night. 

Clark was not the only one who broke records — the game itself was a record breaker. Airing on network television for the first time since 1995, the game surpassed the men’s game by 4.1 million views — 18.9 million and 14.82 million views respectively. 

“You’re seeing the growth in many places: attendance records, viewership and social media engagement surrounding March Madness,” University of California, Los Angeles coach Cori Close said. “I don’t think you can attribute it just to Iowa, though. A rising tide does lift all boats. But I think all those boats have been on many different waterways. The product is really good, and the increase of exposure is getting rewarded.” UCLA lost to third-ranked Louisiana State University in the Sweet Sixteen. 

This game was also one of the most watched non-Olympic women’s sporting events on United States television, second only to the 2015 Women’s World Cup final between the USA and Japan.

This year boasts a large class of players who have amassed large followings and prospects to go professional: LSU’s Angel Reese, Cardoso and Clark are all top prospects for this year’s Women’s National Basketball Association draft. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

The newest men’s collegiate basketball champions: University of Connecticut

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

The University of Connecticut clinched back-to-back National Collegiate Athletic Association — NCAA — men’s basketball championships over Purdue University on April 8, 2024. 

The first half was a close match-up, but UConn went on a 15-7 run from a point deficit to pull ahead at the half. This deficit was the first time Purdue trailed after the first 20 minutes of play. 

In the second half, UConn’s run of 8-2 was used to bring their double-digit lead. But, most importantly for the team, they kept Purdue’s seven foot four inches tall center, Zach Edey, scoreless for a total of 12 minutes of play. UConn also limited Purdue at the 3-point line — the Boilermakers went one for seven in the second half. In the entire tournament, UConn only trailed for a total of five minutes and 42 seconds, never trailing by more than five points. 

“We were going to go to the well with Zach as much as we could at that point,” Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter said, talking about his team’s second-half trouble. “In a game like this, we had to be able to rebound defensively better, and then we had to have something balance that out. That was threes. They (UConn) stayed home with us. They did a really good job defensively.”

UConn is the eighth team to win back-to-back championships — the University of Florida was the last team to achieve this in 2007. This is also UConn’s sixth championship, becoming the fourth team to win six or more championships in their program’s history. This feat has been achieved by the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Kentucky and the University of North Carolina. 

All of UConn’s championship wins have occurred since 1999, which is more than any other men’s team in that same span, and are second only to UConn’s women’s team, who have won 10.

Purdue has never won a national championship, despite appearing in the Final Four three times. They have only appeared in a championship game once, which was this most recent appearance. 

However, it was not a UConn player who led the game in stats. Edey claimed a double-double — scoring 37 points and 10 rebounds in Purdue’s defeat. Four of UConn’s five starters scored in double digits: Tristen Newton scored 20, Stephon Castle scored 15, while Cam Spencer and Donovan Clingan both scored 11. 

“Credit to my teammates and coaching staff for putting me in the right positions to make plays, score, get people involved and get the win tonight,” said Newton. Newton was selected as the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. 

“You can’t even wrap your mind around it, because you just know how hard this tournament is,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said post-game. “What a special group of people.”

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Westerns women’s basketball update

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The Howl previously covered the cancellation of the Western women’s basketball season. The article covered allegations of abuse and harassment from players at Western and also Salem University, where head coach Jessica Peatross and assistant coach Demetrius “DJ” Marlow led the women’s basketball program during the 2022-23 season. Following a legal investigation prompted by the athletic department, the administration has chosen to remove the coaches from administrative leave and reinstate both Peatross and Marlow for the 2024-25 season.

In the previous article, one anonymous source from the Western women’s basketball team went into depth on alleged National Collegiate Athletic Association — NCAA — violations, verbal abuse, sexually charged comments and a season-ending injury possibly caused by assistant Coach DJ Marlow. Multiple players from Salem University and another NCAA Division Two university located in West Virginia came forward to speak about their alleged experiences with Coaches Peatross and Marlow as well — many of the allegations followed similar patterns of verbal abuse, neglect, inappropriate behavior and a lack of response from their athletic administration. 

While the coaches have been on paid administrative leave since February, an investigation was initiated, though it is unclear who exactly hired the firm. The law firm, by the name of Littler Mendelson, specializes in employer clients and conducted the believed-to-be unbiased third-party investigation. The spokesperson for the firm released a statement saying that “the allegations against the coaches were not sustained.” The coaches were officially reinstated following the conclusion of this investigation. The Western women’s basketball players were then offered the option of entering the transfer portal, but in order to stay on the team they would need to meet with Coach Peatross individually.

The season cancellation caught the attention of sports commentator and Instagram personality Timothy Martin, who regularly posts content related to the NCAA and professional sports. Following the release of our previous article, Martin posted an update that garnered over four hundred thousand views. We reached out to Martin about the reinstatement of Peatross and Marlow, to which he said, “Based on the situations and stories from former athletes and those associated with the team — it’s shocking from an outsider’s perspective like myself to hear the results of the investigation from the university. For a Collegiate season to be cut short and nothing come of the investigation seems very odd. I’m an outsider and have no association with the university, but have been following this situation since it was announced over a month ago and honestly have more questions now than I did when the investigation started.” 

Derek Holdsworth is a Western track and field and cross-country alumni and current head coach of Growing Runners Track Club, a youth track club in Williamsburg, Virginia. During his time at Western, he broke the all-time Western record and all-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) record for the 800-meter run. Holdsworth has been keeping tabs on the status of the women’s basketball team after hearing the news about the season cancellation. “I always felt safe at (Western) with my coaches and staff around me, so it’s incredibly disappointing to hear that not only do students feel uncomfortable with their current coaches but their coaches lied about their experience to get the current positions that they have. It’s frustrating to hear this as someone who’s currently in search of a career outside of my athletic pursuits. I know the staff at WOU has the ability to do what’s best for their student-athletes, they just might need a little push,” Holdsworth stated. 

Multiple faculty and staff members at Western have expressed discontent with the decisions made by the athletic administration, but out of fear for their job security and safety, have declined to comment. One Western faculty member spoken to agreed to have their quote released under the condition that they remain anonymous. “I’ve worked with dozens of student-athletes in my time at WOU. Generally, this group of people doesn’t complain unless there are real problems. They are used to grueling schedules, high demands and hard work. They put up with a lot. Then they do it again the next day. It’s inconceivable to me that these students are being silenced and ignored. There needs to be better leadership from both athletics and WOU administrators. The least powerful and least protected people are essentially being told they don’t matter. That’s not what WOU represents.” 

Another faculty member also shared their opinion on the outlook of recruiting future athletes – “reinstatement of the women’s basketball coaching staff is a clear indicator of the absence of any wrongdoing. Recent history of the administration’s mismanagement of the situation can have detrimental consequences for recruiting down the line.”

An anonymous source from Salem University, who contributed to the previous article as one of the players in Peatross and Marlow’s 2022-2023 program, made a second statement to the Howl. “Honestly, I think it’s crazy. It just shows how bad the outside world doesn’t pay attention to athletes calling and seeking out help. In this world especially as college athletes, athletes in general — we overlook our mental health and in this situation, the staff at WOU overlooked theirs. I just hope that both coaches find it in their hearts to start off with a clean slate and allow the girls to come back and play. That school is their home.” This source was instrumental in gathering information and sources of all different opinions from Salem University.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Westerns track and field team stars in new podcast

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The Howl had the opportunity to interview seven athletes from the men’s and women’s cross-country and track and field teams. An impressive lineup of athletes from both sports were chosen to speak to the Howl about their respective programs, coaching staff, hobbies and experience at Western. The interviewees for the podcast show were Elwood Hosking, Rami Dear, Bryce Mefford, Isaiah Rodriguez, Wyatt Smith, Lindie Larson, Riley Smith and Olivia Flack. 

Topics ranged from the individual successes of the athletes to a collective admiration of coach Zach Holloway, personal interests, events and entertaining stories from their time in the program. The athletes ran a variety of events, including the 800 meter, steeplechase, the distance medley relay and the mile. They each bring a wealth of knowledge on their event, how to prepare mentally and nutritionally and a few embarrassing yet entertaining storytimes on failed barrier jumps. 

All of the athletes have made their mark on the program, but Rodriguez and Larson have made big waves in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 2 competitive environments. Rodriguez took an impressive second-place finish as a true freshman in the 800-meter competition during the 2024 GNAC track and field championships. Larson has quite an impressive resume with two-time appearances in three different sectors — the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, GNAC cross-country Championships and the NCAA Division Two cross-country West Region Championships, as well as an appearance in the NCAA Division Two pre-nationals competition. Additionally, Smith also placed first in the Linfield Erik Anderson Icebreaker Memorial Invitational for the 800-meter race. The vast majority of athletes interviewed have attended the GNAC Championships in some form, which speaks volumes about the quality and performance of Western’s program as a whole. 

What stood out in particular were the stories of Zach Holloway, the head cross-country coach and assistant track and field coach. He previously worked for the highly successful Adams State University cross-country and track and field programs as he completed his education. Before his time at Adams State, he was a former distance runner at Western. He returned to Western in 2018 and has been coaching here since. Many players referred to Holloway as someone they could reach out to for anything, a great resource for support and a listening voice. Dear and Hosking elaborated on Holloway’s demeanor, “Zach’s really humble, most recently he ran a race that he didn’t want to tell us where it was, or when it was, but he tells me what time, and like dude, that’s faster than my like cross country season best! — He’s too humble, but Zach’s still got it.” Dear stated. Holloway seems to have been a powerful force in recruiting, with Hosking and Dear both stating that he was a large part of their decision to come to Western.

Western’s track and field team, similar to other programs, brings in a fair amount of transfer athletes from other two-year and four-year universities. Hosking transferred in from Division 1 school Portland State University, while Dear transferred in from Clackamas Community College. Flack spoke about her experience transferring from Lane Community College, a Northwest Athletic Conference two-year school. “I really like the atmosphere here on the team and I knew a lot of people who transferred from Lane to Western, and they always had good things to say about it — it was a smooth transfer.” Transfer athletes from junior colleges — JUCO — typically make the move after two years, which grants the athlete two more years to compete at the university level. In some cases, similar to Hosking, athletes will choose to redshirt, since the NCAA grants an athlete a total of five calendar years to compete. 

Aside from programs and coaching staff, each interviewee had a unique perspective with vastly different interests from each other. Despite interests from coffee shop dreams to mob bosses, the athletes shared that for the most part, they were all a tight-knit community. Throughout all three episodes, athletes spoke highly of each other, constantly referring to members outside of the podcast space and sharing memories. Many athletes like Flack choose to room with their teammates, something that is typically encouraged by programs to promote camaraderie. Mefford told the Howl that his friendships from the cross-country and track and field teams were something he is “going to value for the rest of his life.” 

Mefford chose to abstain from competing this season but still sacrifices his time practicing and attending meets so he is able to stay close to his teammates and support them. Smith attributed part of her decision to attend Western to her brother also participating in the program here. Bailey Smith is a senior on the track and field team, and Smith elaborated on how close they were by stating that Oregon still “felt like home,” despite both siblings originating from Cody, Wyoming. 

Ranging from a team bonding hide-and-seek gone wrong to entrepreneurship, chemistry and high-level athletic competition, these cross-country and track and field athletes covered it all. Podcast show episodes will be available on YouTube.

Contact the author at Howllifestyle@wou.edu

Social media representation of female athletes

Written by: Daelynn Aerni | Freelancer, Cameron Wright | Freelancer

Has one ever used sports as a method of escapism to follow one’s dreams or passions?

That is why so many people watch sports: as an escape from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy skillful athleticism from people who represent them. While many are able to watch

their favorite players in sports and relate to those athletes, a lot of people are unable to see

themselves represented in sports, especially women. 

Some of the bigger issues in women’s sports that so many athletes face are the negative social media impacts and the significantly lower viewership rates. Social media continuously misrepresents female athletes, focusing mainly on the image athletes should portray instead of covering the athleticism and skill these women constantly demonstrate.

It wasn’t until the 1900 Olympics that 22 women were allowed to compete alongside

men in the games, however they were still not able to compete in the more physical sports like

shotput because women were still viewed as “fragile and gentle.” 

The Women’s National Basketball Association wasn’t created until June 1997, when the National Basketball Association Board of Governors approved the idea of a women’s professional league. After fighting for their place at the table in the world of sports, female athletes are still berated with criticisms of not only their athletic performance, but of their representations of femininity through the platform of social media. 

As the women’s movement so famously started in the mid 1800s, there has been little progress in women’s sports compared to the men’s associations. Celebrating their 28th season in 2024, the WNBA still does not have nearly the amount of media coverage compared to the NBA. In 2019, women’s sports coverage was 5.1 percent of all sports coverage on TV and 5.4 percent of all sports coverage online.

This statistic is not just indicative of the WNBA but of all women’s sports. How are younger generations supposed to find escapism and identity in the sports they love if half of the world’s population is not covered by the media in the first place?

With limited media coverage as well as false narratives being placed into public opinion, potential business partners, teams and coaches, female athletes have to take matters into their own hands by amplifying their sports how they see fit. 

Sports tend to see a low number of women in leadership roles, therefore, athletes in women’s leagues do not get to see the same level of representation at the executive level as male athletes  do — leading to a gross oversight in ignoring inequities and injustices. In the end, female athletes are typically their own best advocates because male-dominated leadership frequently ignores their achievements.

This is significant to how women’s sports have become more popular because, instead of relying on unreliable media to share the importance of women’s sports, women have taken it into their own hands to make women’s sports more known and accessible to watch nationally. 

For example, with the work and spotlight being put on younger athletes like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers, the game with this generation will translate from the NCAA to the WNBA. Another example is the recent addition to NBA All-Star weekend with the three-point shooting contest between Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry, which helps in promoting female athletes and their sports to huge audiences who love the same sport, just with male athletes. 

For instance, the average NBA game on TNT averages around 1.5-2 million viewers, compared to the 3-point contest, which has around 5.4 million viewers. If the media can showcase how amazing these women are in their skill and competition, more people will be inclined to tune into the broadcasting of the sport.

The media creates boxes for female athletes to fit into, whether they like it or not. These

boxes could include the sexualization of the female athlete or creating narratives of aggressive

behaviors. 

A prime example of this is the Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark controversy from the 2023 NCAA championship. Throughout the game, Reese and Clark showcase their extreme skill and competitiveness with not only their basketball skills, but their sportsmanship as well.

Both players were seen making gestures and giving a bit of trash talk to each other, which

is a normal, competitive quality in the world of sports. However, after Reese made a

gesture to her ring finger during the fourth quarter, representing how she would soon win the

championship ring in the tournament, the media became outraged. 

Reese was depicted as an aggressive, unsportsmanlike player who was “classless” and an “idiot.” Reese came out with a statement at a press conference after the game, highlighting the difference between her sportsmanship and Clark’s. 

In a CNN interview, Reese stated, “All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing.” 

As we saw in real-time, Reese was immediately labeled and put into boxes because of one

gesture, despite other players doing the same thing. The media tends to pin female athletes against each other and weaponize them.

So many efforts are being made to change the narrative about women’s contribution to

the sports world, including inspiring the change to hire more women’s college and WNBA

coaches across the nation. By increasing the number of women in the sports world and giving more women decision-making positions, they will be able to gain more power over their

platform and be able to represent themselves how they want to be represented, not how the

media caters to the male gaze.

This is why we would like to reach out to the Western community to bring light to the challenges that women in sports face daily. By addressing younger audiences, we hope to break this cycle of sexism and misrepresentation in women’s sports.

Contact the authors at daerni22@mail.wou.edu and cwright23@mail.wou.edu

Elihu Cobb

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Historically, fewer than two percent of National Collegiate Athletic Association — NCAA — athletes play on professional sports teams for any period of time — in professional basketball, this drops to 1.2 percent. These numbers are specific to Division I athletics; Division II drops even lower. 

Western athletes going professional has happened twice before in the school’s recent history — football player Tyrell Williams was drafted to the San Diego Chargers in 2016, and basketball player Tanner Omlid signed to play professionally in the Spanish Leagues in 2018. Basketball player Elihu Cobb is now the third Western athlete to go professional.  

In 2021, Cobb came to Western from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California, an almost three-hour drive from where he went to high school. In Cobb’s sophomore season, he reached 10 double-doubles — where a player accumulates double digits in two of the five primary statistical categories — and averaged nearly a double-double every game during the season. 

At Western, he continued to dominate, completing 70 of 113 field goal attempts in his first and second seasons combined as well as maintaining a strong presence on the court. 

“He’s dedicated,” said Coach Wes Pifer. “He got stronger every single year on the court and off the court.” This is seen in Cobb’s stats: his points scored, free throws and blocks all increased in his second season at Western.

Cobb was described by his coach as “a warrior” and “an everyday guy,” concerning his work ethic and attitude as a player. Pifer and the rest of the coaching staff had stayed connected with Cobb during the recruiting process, something he accredited to why he had chosen Western. “We still maintain that relationship to this day,” Pifer said. 

On top of being an everyday guy, Cobb is extremely humble in his playing level and ability. Even though his improvement is reflected in his stats, he stated, “I didn’t have the career I feel like I’m capable of having.” Coach Pifer stated Cobb had finished fourth in the league in blocks and shots and called him “a presence on the court.” 

Cobb would consider his defining moment to be receiving an education and getting his bachelor’s degree in business, as well as his associate’s degree from the College of the Sequoias. “I got my business degree, so I got an education out of it and they have also given me the opportunity to continue playing at the pro level,” Cobb said.

When asked, Cobb did not see himself as much of a leader on the court, but he did feel as if he could be a guide for the freshmen players, “They can talk to me and ask questions. I help them with how to act professionally, and like what we can do, what not to do.” 

Coach Pifer, however, thinks highly of him as a leader.

“I think he’s a great guy when it comes to leading by example: how hard he plays, exhibiting the right traits,” Pifer said. “He’s one of those guys that leads by example all the time.”

For Cobb, evolving from Junior College to Division II changed him from a raw player with only a few years of organized basketball under his belt, to learning what he could bring to the court and how he impacted the team.

In his time at Western, Cobb had the opportunity to go to states he had not originally been to, like Alaska. “I had never seen that much snow around and there was ice everywhere,” Cobb said. “It was just an experience going to different places.”

He also described the exhibition games the team played during the 2022-2023 season — games against the University of Arizona and Corban University. “The crowd was packed, it was a fun experience,” Cobb said. 

He played in both of these matchups as a finisher, contributing three rebounds and a block during the game against Corban and similar stats during the Arizona game. While Western unfortunately lost in these matchups, it is clear that it was an experience that Cobb will remember when looking back on his college career.

Cobb will continue his basketball career with the Vancouver Volcanoes, a professional team playing in The Basketball League. The team was originally founded in 2005 and played in the International League before the league was disbanded in 2014. In 2020, The Basketball League announced that the Portland Storm was approved for franchise expansion for 2021 — which was ultimately canceled due to COVID-19. The team was then relocated to Vancouver for the 2022 season, and the Volcanoes joined the league. 

“I think I’m feeling really confident, it’s gonna be more space,” Cobb said when asked about his feelings towards going pro. “I think it’s gonna be different because it’s going to be more freedom on the court for me and I’m gonna be able to do things I couldn’t before.”

The Volcanoes opened their season on March 1 against the Emerald City Jaguars, winning 118 to 101. Their next game is against Great Falls Electric on Sunday, March 17.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Disability in sports

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer     Robin Winn | Freelancer

Sports, as a whole, is an extremely significant part of many individuals’ lives — inspiring unity, patriotism and a sense of community. Unfortunately, not everyone has been fairly represented in sports and those in disabled communities have had to fight for equal rights and opportunities in all areas, particularly in sports. The history of activism and the Disability Rights Movement dates far back to the 1800s, when meetings and events were conducted demanding civil rights for disabled individuals. 

The 1973 Rehabilitation Act provided many elements that inspired the Disability Rights Movement, specifically Section 504 which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the workplace. This was written, but not implemented — frustrating supporters of the movement. This dismissal also encouraged the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, ACCD, to conduct sit-ins in different government buildings, finally forcing President Nixon to sign all regulations. 

The first step made towards raising representation of disabled athletes, besides the obvious rights movements, was the Deaflympics. The first game took place at the 1924 Paris International Silent Game, where nine European Nations participated — making it a first for any group of people with disabilities. 

The games were organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, CISS, which eventually established the Deaflympics, the longest multi-sport event since the Olympics. At a time when society viewed the deaf as intellectually inferior, this was a huge step in paving the way for accurate representation of disabled individuals. 

This inspired German neurologist and father of the Paralympic Movement, Ludwig Guttmann to continue disability activism. Guttmann believed that sports could be used as a method of rehabilitation for disabled individuals coming back from WWII and opened the Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Refusing to believe that paraplegia was a death sentence, his work revolutionized the field and changed the way many view disability as a whole. 

Building on his belief, Guttmann organized a sports festival for retired servicemen in wheelchairs called the Stoke Mandeville Games — named after the hospital where it took place. On the opening day of the London Olympic Games, Dr. Guttman made a statement by running a concurrent event where disabled individuals could participate in wheelchair archery not only as part of their rehabilitation but also as a way to showcase their abilities. This eventually grew into an international event now known as the Paralympics. This event allowed those participating to no longer be just patients, but athletes as well. 

Dr. Guttmann made tremendous progress when it came to the inclusion and representation of disability in sports, but unfortunately, there were still obstacles that disabled athletes would have to overcome. During the 1960 Rome Games, over 400 athletes with disabilities lined up to participate, but were met with issues like lack of accessibility to facilities and funding. 

After a long fight, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee reached an agreement to host both events at the same time, with the first official Paralympics held alongside the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics.

Currently, there has been major progress made in terms of disability in athletics. The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, is currently committed to supporting college athletes with disabilities and providing guidelines that best accommodate their needs. Many colleges have adaptive and inclusive sports programs directly focused on disabilities, including two schools here in Oregon. Oregon State University has a club wheelchair basketball program and Portland State University has an Inclusive Recreation program including wheelchair basketball tournaments, adaptive climbing, swimming, goalball and an adapted gym.

While school athletics, particularly K-12, still fall short of providing a fully inclusive environment or fall back on the “inspiration p–n” trope, many improvements and advancements are being made every day.

Many organizations also focus on providing opportunities and resources to disabled athletes across Oregon, such as Oregon Adaptive Sports. Across the country, organizations such as Athletes Without Limits and the Northwest Association of Deaf Basketball or NWABD, and organizations from across the world, including a nonprofit focused on helping athletes with disabilities receive equipment and aids to help them play their sport, are all working to create an inclusive space for disabled athletes. 

Meanwhile, the Paralympics is still ongoing, with the next games taking place in Paris starting Aug. 28. A similar organization, the Deaflympics, which includes a variety of sports, is currently holding its Winter Games in Turkey from March 2–12. Special Olympics Australia, a year-round organization focused on supporting athletes with disabilities by providing resources and a welcoming community, recently held a fundraising event called SPLASH.

The impact of the Paralympics is nothing short of huge, and it has successfully integrated itself into mainstream sports — raising awareness for inclusion. During the 1960 Rome Games, China refused to participate in the Paralympics as they stated, “Disability simply doesn’t exist here.” Now there is an established Chinese Sports Association for Disabled Athletes, and in 2021, China sent 250 athletes to participate in the Paralympic Games. Though there are still debates about issues amongst the misrepresentation of disabled individuals and the games like the 2000 Paralympic cheating scandal, there is no doubt the Paralympics has helped foster the spirit of inclusion and has opened the door for disabled individuals everywhere.  

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

Contact the author at rwinn19@mail.wou.edu 

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