Paralympic athletes' first steps into sport: International, psychological and social challenges encountered

This study aims to deeply examine the structural, social, psychological, and organizational barriers encountered by Paralympic athletes during their sports participation process and to reveal the methods for coping with these barriers as well as the effectiveness of support mechanisms. Adopting a qualitative research method, the study employed a phenomenological approach to focus on the experiences of Paralympic athletes during their initiation into sports. The study group consists of 12 Paralympic athletes who are active in various sports branches and represent different disability groups, determined through the maximum variation sampling method. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher and analyzed via content analysis using the MAXQDA qualitative data analysis software. The findings indicate that athletes face structural barriers such as the inadequacy of training facilities and high equipment costs, as well as societal perception issues such as viewing sports merely as a rehabilitation tool and organizational challenges like accessibility problems. Psychologically, competitive pressure, lack of self-esteem, and the risk of social isolation were found to be prominent; however, family and coach support played a critical role in overcoming these obstacles. In conclusion, it was revealed that individual efforts alone are insufficient for the development of disability sports, and institutional, social, and political support is mandatory. In this context, solution proposals such as state-supported projects, awareness campaigns, and integration into the educational curriculum have been developed. The study contributes to the literature by providing concrete data aimed at increasing the social visibility of Paralympic athletes and developing policies for disability sports.