Paralympic Sport Development

Paralympic sport development supports the nationwide athlete identification and development strategy that introduces Americans with Paralympic eligible impairments to Paralympic sport and leads them into the athlete pipeline for the U.S. Paralympic Team.

About#

  • The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. U.S. Paralympics, a division of the nonprofit USOPC, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic Movement and promoting excellence in the lives of people with disabilities, including physical disabilities and visual impairments.

    Since its formation in 2001, U.S. Paralympics has been inspiring Americans to achieve their dreams. Through relationships with hundreds of organizations across the country including National Governing Bodies, Paralympic Sport Organizations and adaptive sports organizations, U.S. Paralympics is making a difference in the lives of thousands of people with Paralympic eligible impairments.

    The USOPC is recognized as the National Paralympic Committee in the United States, as recognized by the International Paralympic Committee, and is one of only four organizations in the world to manage both Olympic and Paralympic sport at the national level – and the first to include the distinction in its official name and marks. U.S. Paralympics is responsible for elite sports programming including sending the U.S. Paralympic Team to the summer and winter Paralympic Games. U.S. Paralympics operates as the NGB for five sports: Para-cycling, Nordic skiing (biathlon and cross-country skiing), powerlifting, swimming and track and field.

  • An athlete with a prosthetic leg runs alongside a lake.

Resources#

Get Connected

  • Para Athlete celebrates by holding up American flag

    Are you interested in learning more about paralympic sport?

    We encourage you to start by completing the Paralympic eligible athlete questionnaire. After completing the form, a representative from our Paralympic sport development division will reach out to provide information on the sports of interest. While you...

    Start your journey today