Disability Sport
The Paralympic Summer Games are the second largest sporting event in the world, second only to the Summer Olympics. Originating at Stoke Mandeville hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, the Games (although with a different name) were first held in 1948 to coincide with the London Olympics. There is a great opportunity to take the inspiration of the Paralympics to develop sport for disabled people in West Sussex. There are already many opportunities for disabled people to take part in sport, whether at school, in clubs, or in sports venues. The Active Sussex website lists many of these opportunities, including multi-sport clubs across the county.
The fifth Sussex Parallell Youth Games were held on Wednesday 9th June 2010 at Olympos, Burgess Hill. The Sussex Parallel Youth Games offers young disabled athletes the opportunity to show off their skills and receive much-deserved recognition in sport in Sussex. It is hoped that these Games provide a springboard for local aspiring athletes. This years event was the biggest to date, hosting 18 schools from across Sussex and over 400 children aged between 11 and 18. There were a variety of fun and exciting sports to participate in, including Boccia, New Age Kurling, Swimming, Basketball, Tennis and Cricket.