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Amy Truesdale: British Para taekwondo star ready for glory
Crafting Champions spotlights Para athletes excelling in their sports, offering an inside look at what it takes to become a champion. The series captures their journeys, from overcoming challenges to training for the podium. Witness their inspiring stories of resilience, dedication, and triumph as they gear up for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Amy Truesdale, a Para taekwondo athlete from Great Britain. With her sights set on becoming a Paralympic champion at Paris 2024, Amy shares her story of overcoming societal limitations and embracing her capabilities. Born with her left arm missing, she faced numerous challenges but found strength and discipline through martial arts, a passion she pursued from childhood. Competing initially in able-bodied taekwondo, Amy transitioned to Para taekwondo and has since traveled the world, meeting inspiring people and gaining invaluable experiences. Amy reflects on feeling disappointed after finishing with a bronze medal on her Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020. But now she is ready to win gold in Paris. She feels immense pride in representing her country and believes Para sports have positively impacted her life by showcasing her sport to the world and inspiring others. The International Paralympic Committee's vision is to make for an inclusive world through Para sport. Our mission is to lead the Paralympic Movement, oversee the delivery of the Paralympic Games and support members to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence.
‘I just bloody loved it’: Dylan Alcott looks back on a career that changed Para sport
Dylan Alcott, the four-time Paralympic champion in wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball, reflects on his role in elevating the Games to headline status
The day Natalie du Toit made Olympic history
Thirteen-time Paralympic champion is the first leg amputee swimmer ever to compete in the Olympic Games in the women's 10km open water race at Beijing 2008
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About the Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are the largest global sporting event for athletes with disabilities and have taken place every four years since the inaugural edition in Rome, Italy, in 1960. In 1976, the first Winter Games were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden and featured 198 athletes from 16 countries.
Following the 1988 Games in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and the Winter Games in Albertville, France in 1992, the Paralympic and Olympic Games have been held in the same city. The next Paralympic Games will be held in Paris in 2024, followed by LA28 and Brisbane 2032. The next winter edition is Milano Cortina 2026.
About the IPC
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. Founded on 22 September 1989 as a non-profit organisation, we aim to be athlete-centred and membership-focussed in all our endeavours.
Through partnerships with more than 200 member organisations, we leverage Para sport to advance the lives of the 1.2 billion individuals with disabilities across the globe.
Paralympics history
Sport for athletes with an impairment has existed for more than 100 years. It was not until after World War II, however, that it was widely introduced. The purpose of it at that time was to assist the large number of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during wartime.
On 29 July 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organised a competition for wheelchair athletes at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. Sixteen injured servicemen and women took part in archery at the inaugural Stoke Mandeville Games, which later became the Paralympic Games.
What is classification?
Classification is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Movement; it determines which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how athletes are grouped together for competition. In Para sports, athletes are grouped by the degree of activity limitation resulting from the impairment. This, to a certain extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender or weight.
Classification aims to minimise the impact of the impairment on athletes' performance so that the sporting excellence determines which athlete or team is ultimately victorious. Ensuring that athletes are classified prior to competing is crucial to safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the competition.
What are the Paralympic sports?
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recognises a total of 28 Paralympic sports. The 22 summer sports are Para archery, Para athletics, Para badminton, blind football, boccia, Para canoe, Para cycling, Para equestrian, goalball, Para judo, Para powerlifting, Para rowing, shooting Para sport, sitting volleyball, Para swimming, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair tennis.
Winter sports include Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.
