Sports Jessica Bentley

February 25, 2026 Jessica Bentley  Dr. Sowers More Than A Story   There are significant differences in the coverage of the Olympics and the Paralympics by media outlets. Able-bodied athletes are analyzed, celebrated, and discussed constantly on TV, while Paralympic athletes and other people who are disabled in sports often remain on the sidelines in the TV world. When Paralympic athletes do appear, there is often storytelling of frequent challenges that endure, portraying the athletes as either victims, “superscrips”, or objects of inspiration rather than the skilled athletes. In order to improve the coverage of the Paralympics and other disabled sports, there needs to be a consideration of quality over quantity by the media representation.   The coverage today of disabled sports and how these athletes are framed and portrayed by the media is seen as problematic. The media outlets are often portraying these athletes as...

Leveling the Playing Field? Technology, Disability, and Fairness in Sports February 16, 2026 Jessica Bentley  Dr. Sowers Leveling the Playing Field? Technology, Disability, and Fairness in Sports The sports world has always celebrated human achievement by pushing athletes to their limits physically, emotionally, and mentally. In the past couple of years, adaptive technology for athletes has evolved.  For example, running blades for people who are amputees have become more advanced, therefore enhancing running performance for athletes. This has sparked an interesting debate among the world of sports. How does this development affect the fairness in sports? Should these tools be allowed in sports? How is this equitable for athletes who are at a disadvantage based on the nations they are from?  When it comes to adaptive gear for disabled athletes, technology has the power to change what is possible for athletes. Devices such as prosthetic limbs, running blades, or exoskeleto...

The Paralympic Games Represent the Real Olympics February 9, 2026 Jessica Bentley  Dr. Sowers The Paralympic Games Represent the Real Olympics Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, neurologist and a pioneer in the Paralympic Movement, and many others who work on the Paralympic Games refer to the Paralympics as the “real Olympics.” Dr. Guttman emphasized a deep principle of sport, effort, and humanity in these games. Guttmann believed that the Paralympics reflected the true meaning and true essence of the Olympic ideal. As said by Pierre de Coubertin: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering, but fighting well.” — International Olympic Committee ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Guttmann?utm_source ). The original Paralympic Games were organized by Guttmann in 1948  and were called the Stoke Mendeville Games. These games were created originally for war veterans with spinal i...

Parallel Games, Equal Excellence February 1, 2026 Jessica Bentley  Dr. Sowers Parallel Games, Equal Excellence At the beginning of this week's content, my understanding of the word Paralympics was largely an assumption rather than information or knowledge.  I thought that the “para” in Paralympics was used because it described paralysis or paraplegic. I thought this because when I think of the Paralympic games it is primarily with athletes who are physically disabled and it affects their mobility. I also thought that the Paralympics were an adapted version of the Olympic Games. My understanding of the Paralympics is common, but it does not reflect these games in the best way.  Through this week's reading, especially the materials from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and academic work on disability sports, the way that I recognize the Paralympics has shifted. A couple of the terms that are used for these games were defined differently than I perceived, so this...