The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the tenth Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler. With a theme of "One Inspires Many," the Opening Ceremony featured over 5000 local performers. Fifteen-year-old snowboarder Zach Beaumont, who is an amputee, was the final torch bearer and lit the Games Cauldron. The 2 hours live ceremony was produced by Vancouver-based Patrick Roberge Productions Inc.
The 1976 Summer Paralympics, branded as Torontolympiad - 1976 Olympiad for the Physically Disabled, was the fifth Paralympic Games to be held. They were hosted by Toronto, Canada, from August 4 to 12, 1976, marking the first time a Paralympics was held in Canada. The games began three days after the close of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
The 1980 Summer Paralympics, branded as the Olympics for the Disabled, were the sixth Summer Paralympic Games. They were held in Arnhem, Netherlands, from June 21 to 30, 1980.
The 1992 Summer Paralympics were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with mental handicap were held immediately after the regular Paralympics in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
Australia has competed in every Winter Paralympics. In 1976, the first Games, Australia's sole competitor was Ron Finneran, but he was not an official entrant. In 1980, Kyrra Grunnsund and Peter Rickards became the first official competitors, in alpine and cross-country skiing. The number of Australian athletes increased to three, five, five and six at the next four games, respectively, and all of the athletes were alpine skiers. The participation decreased to four in 1998 and climbed back up to six in 2002. Australia won its first Winter Paralympic medals in 1992, and has medalled at every games since then. All of the medals have been won in alpine skiing.
Several tropical nations have participated in the Winter Olympics despite not having the climate for winter sports. Partly because of that, their entries are a subject of human interest stories during the Games. No tropical nation has ever won a Winter Olympic medal.
South Africa first participated at the Olympic Games in 1904, and sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games until 1960. After the passage of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1761 in 1962 in response to South Africa's policy of apartheid, the nation was barred from the Games.
The Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award is named after South Korean Dr. Whang Youn Dai, who contracted polio at the age of three. She devoted her life to the development of paralympic sport in Korea and around the world. At the 1988 Paralympic Summer Games in Seoul, Korea, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recognized her lifelong contributions to the Paralympic Movement and established the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award. Since then, this award has been presented at every Paralympic Games to one male and one female athlete who each "best exemplify the spirit of the Games and inspire and excite the world".
Tofiri Kibuuka is a Norwegian athlete. Ugandan by birth, he competed for Uganda before obtaining Norwegian citizenship. He has participated in both the Winter Paralympic Games, in cross-country skiing and in the Summer Paralympic Games, in mid- and long distance running. Active from 1976 to 2000, he won five Paralympic silver medals, and one bronze.
Uganda has competed at both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
South Africa made its Winter Paralympic Games début at the 1998 Winter Paralympics in Nagano, Japan. The country entered only one athlete, Bruce Warner, who competed in alpine skiing. He did not win any medals.
South Africa has competed at both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
David Bruce Warner is a South African alpine skier. He is the only person ever to have represented South Africa at the Winter Paralympic Games, and he is one of only two Africans to have competed at the Games to date.
South Africa competed at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The appearance marked the nation's fourth appearance at a Winter Paralympics since its debut at the 1998 Games; to athlete has won any medals. As with the previous four occasions, the country's only representative at the 2010 Paralympics was alpine skier Bruce Warner. He acted as the flag bearer in the Parade of Nations during the opening ceremony. Warner competed in four standing skiing events, but did not place on the medal podiums.
Namibia made its Paralympic Games début at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona. These were the first Summer Paralympics to be held since the country's accession to independence from South Africa in 1990, and thus the first Games in which Namibia was able to take part. For its inaugural participation, the country sent just two athletes, both women, who both competed in discus, javelin and shot put. They did not win any medals.
Sledge hockey classification is the classification process for people who play ice sledge hockey. The classification system is governed by the International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey.
Joany Badenhorst is an Australian Paralympian who was selected to compete in Para-snowboard cross at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi. She would have been the first female snowboarder to represent Australia at the Winter Paralympics, but was forced to withdraw from her event after suffering an injury to her left knee whilst training on the morning of the event. In February 2018, she was selected in the Australian team to compete at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
South Africa competed at the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City, United States. One competitor from South Africa won no medals and so did not place in the medal table.
Denmark sent one competitor to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
