IPC magazine The Paralympian now available online

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has released the latest edition of its magazine The Paralympian. 

This edition can be downloaded online from Paralympic.org. 

The main feature story highlights the IPC’s 30th anniversary. Founding President Dr. Robert Steadward recalls the early stages of the IPC’s birth, and the pain and perseverance that led to its founding in September 1989 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Three decades later, the IPC celebrated the milestone with festivities in its hometown Bonn, Germany, last October, and the launching of a new branded look.

Other member organisations in the Paralympic Movement have done similar in rebranding, such as the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of the USA. A case study inside this magazine explains how the NPC transitioned from US Paralympics to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). 

A separate case study sheds light on the development side of Para sports. Led by the Agitos Foundation, Para athletes around the world are getting opportunities to realise their potential through the Athlete Support Programme. Among those athletes is 12-year-old Ugandan swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe. 

More inspiring athlete stories are told. 

Read how Georgia’s Irma Khetsuriani overcame war, a surgery gone wrong and despair to become a world champion and Paralympic medal hopeful in wheelchair fencing. South Korea’s blind judoka Gwang Geun Choi takes readers on a first-person journey around the world in his quest for a third Paralympic title. And Japan’s Wakako Tsuchida, who has been through both Summer and Winter Games, has hopes of finishing her athletic career – in a new sport – at her home Games in Tokyo.

The last article of the magazine is a column from a former athlete who is now the head of the IPC’s operations. Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004 Paralympian and now IPC CEO Mike Peters talks about transforming the organisation’s work culture to better serve its members. 

Finally, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an unexpected turn of events in 2020, especially the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics to 2021. The magazine contains important information to keep readers updated on developments of the pandemic’s impact on the Paralympic Movement.