Classification Experiences of Para Sport Athletes
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the Para sport classification experiences of Canadian high-performance athletes, and how their experiences shaped their embodied perceptions of themselves during classification. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with five participants. Using interpretive content analysis, the data was analyzed with an embodiment framework. The findings demonstrated that both classification experiences of Para sport athletes, and how athletes constructed their understanding of classification. The results show that athletes accepted the bodily experience of the classification process in different ways; 1) as a necessary pathway to sport, or 2) as a medicalized gaze upon the disabled body. They further reflected on the power imbalances in the experiences where often their own voice was rendered silent. These moments demonstrate disruption to self in embodied experiences. Athlete experiences were shaped by their knowledge surrounding classification, their identity as an individual with disability, and lastly their identity as an athlete. Knowledge from this study offers insights into the embodied experiences and disruptions of Para sport classification. This knowledge may offer insight and shape future classification models and research.