As the 2016 Paralympic Games take place in Rio de Janeiro from Sept. 7 through 18, U.S. News & World Report is looking at the challenges facing disabled people worldwide.
Over the course of my professional swimming career, I have earned 12 gold medals and represented the United States at the Athens, Beijing and London Games. I hope to bring home more medals for Team USA in Rio de Janeiro. While many people on the street might remember Michael Phelps’ name, and that he has won a total of 23 gold medals spanning five Olympic Games, it’s common for people to be less knowledgeable about my achievements because my medals have all been won in the Paralympics.
Despite being one of the largest global sporting events, there remains a substantial gap between the level of public awareness, media coverage and sponsorship support for the Paralympics when compared to the Olympics. Because swimming is my passion, I want to help build a more significant presence for the Paralympics and ensure a brighter future and Long-evity (I borrowed that reference from U.S. Paralympics) for all disabled athletes in the United States.
It is estimated that approximately 130 million people in the U.S. participate in some form of swimming activity, according to the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment. These participation numbers certainly explain why brands are interested in this segment. What remains a mystery to me is why more companies are not actively marketing to the U.S. disability market, which is comprised of an estimated 53 million people who represent $544 billion in spending, according to Fifth Quadrant Analytics. Nearly one in five people in the U.S. have a disability — around 20 percent of the population — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It makes good business sense for a company to have a leadership role in the diversity market. So why not start with an investment tied to one of the largest sporting events in the world?
When I first began competing, brands were quite hesitant to feature disabled athletes in advertisements, perhaps due to a fear of offending consumers. I almost never read a Paralympic athlete’s profile in a popular health, sports or fashion magazine. Quite a bit evolved between the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and 2012 London Paralympics with how disabled athletes and military veterans were perceived. In 2012, I had the privilege of appearing in multiple print and TV advertisements. One of the very first fashion features where I appeared without my prosthetic legs was in ELLE magazine’s publication, “Gold Rush.”
As we head into the Rio Paralympics, seeing an athlete in a wheelchair, missing a limb or wearing a prosthetic is no longer considered taboo or shocking. Rather, our differences are seen as relatable and inspiring to millions of people. I am honored that a variety of media outlets including Teen Vogue (December 2015 and August 2016), Glamour magazine (July 2016), Women’s Health magazine (July 2016), Interview magazine (July 2016), leading fashion, beauty, lifestyle outlet Mode.com (March 2016) and NBCUniversal’s “1st Look” TV show (will air August/September 2016) have featured my story along with those of other Paralympians.
I am so grateful that respected global swimwear brand Arena stepped up to support U.S. Paralympics as a supplier. They also sponsor me individually, as their first Paralympic swimmer. United States Olympic Committee (USOC) supplier, airweave, and USOC sponsor, Liberty Mutual, understand the demands of my full-time training and race schedule and sponsorship needs. These brands positioned me alongside other able-bodied Olympic athletes, which is a huge step towards closing the gap.
Brazil is the first South American country to host a Paralympic Games. More than 4,350 athletes from 160 countries are expected to compete in 22 sports. U.S. media rights holders NBCUniversal and the USOC will offer more coverage of the Games than ever before. The networks will air 66 hours of coverage of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, an increase of 60.5 hours from the coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, while TeamUSA.org and USParalympics.org will provide comprehensive online coverage.
Outside of the U.S., British broadcaster Channel 4 will be making history with 700 hours of live Games coverage across all platforms. Australia’s Seven Network is planning to deliver 14 hours of live coverage daily from Sept. 7-18. New Zealand viewers can look forward to TVNZ’s more than 180 hours of planned coverage dedicated to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. National television broadcaster France Télévisions will offer more than 100 hours of live broadcasting that will include Opening and Closing Ceremonies. All of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) member countries have committed to more broadcast time for the Rio Games. NHK in Japan has also promised more airtime than ever before. In all, the 2016 Paralympics will be on TV in at least 115 countries around the world.
Regarding the upcoming Games, Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), said, “I am fully confident that the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will break the four billion cumulative global viewers barrier for the first time, a huge achievement and testament to the growth of the Paralympic Movement.” Overall, I believe there has been a significant shift in the acceptance and appreciation of Paralympic athletes, but we still have a long way to go.
Be sure to tune in and cheer on your favorite Paralympic athletes, starting Sept. 7th!
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Lack of International Data on Disability Issues Hampers Advocates
Jessica Long: Companies Should do More to Support the Paralympic Games originally appeared on usnews.com
