Stakeholders’ perceptions of athletic career pathways in Paralympic sport: from participation to excellence

Athlete development in parasport is a complex domain. Evidence on
the developmental trajectories of para-athletes is necessary to examine
the critical determinants of specific para-athlete development models.
Underpinned by the existing athlete development models to gather
insights into the different developmental phases, this study explored
how athletic career pathways in parasport are developed by identifying
and describing disability-specific characteristics that influence each
developmental phase. Para-athlete development was explored through
the lens of 32 stakeholders from the Brazilian parasport context who
participated in semi-structured interviews. Results ratified the complexity
and individuality of para-athlete development, highlighting that the
differences according to impairment groups, an early or late start in the
sport and the classification, have implications for the development of
the phases of athletic pathways in parasport. The findings lend weight
toward the need for models other than those traditionally used for
able-bodied athletes; rather, para-athlete development models need a
disability-specific approach.