III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 247 

Designating July 29, 2017, as ‘‘Paralympic and Adaptive Sport Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 3, 2017 

Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. BENNET, Mr. ISAKSON, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) 

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating July 29, 2017, as ‘‘Paralympic and Adaptive 

Sport Day’’. 

Whereas, in 2015, roughly 53,000,000 people in the United 

States reported living with some type of impairment; 

Whereas, in 2015, roughly 3,800,000 veterans in the United 

States reported living with a service-related disability; 

Whereas adaptive sports for individuals with impairments 

have existed for more than 100 years; 

Whereas, after World War II, adaptive sports were widely introduced in order to assist the large number of World 

War II veterans and civilians that were injured during 

wartime; 

Whereas July 29, 1948, marks the date of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games in Stoke 

Mandeville, United Kingdom, where Dr. Ludwig 


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•SRES 247 ATS 

Guttmann organized the first wheelchair competition for 

service men and women injured in World War II (also 

known as the ‘‘Stoke Madeville Games’’); 

Whereas the Stoke Mandeville Games, in 2017, ultimately 

evolved into the Paralympic Games and include athletes 

with physical, visual, and intellectual impairments; 

Whereas the International Paralympic Movement celebrates 

values such as courage, determination, inspiration, and 

equality, and works to enable Paralympic athletes to 

achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the 

world; 

Whereas Paralympians in the United States continue to 

achieve competitive excellence, preserve ideals and values 

of the International Paralympic Movement, and inspire 

all people in the United States; 

Whereas 18 veterans were members of Team USA at the 

2014 Paralympic Winter Games held in Sochi, Krasnodar 

Krai, Russia, and 35 veterans were members of Team 

USA at the 2016 Paralympic Summer Games held in Rio 

de Janeiro, Brazil; 

Whereas participation in the Paralympic Games, other adaptive sport competitions, and athletic reconditioning activities such as the Paralympic Military Program plays a 

fundamental role for members of the Armed Forces and 

veterans who are reintegrating into civilian life, and can 

enable those individuals to gain a new purpose in life by 

extending their physical limits during rehabilitation in 

order to rebuild and recover personal identity, formulate 

adaptive strategies for life, and achieve athletic excellence; 


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Whereas a celebration of Paralympic and Adaptive Sport Day 

will improve communities in the United States and uplift 

and inspire the Paralympic champions of the future; 

Whereas Paralympic and Adaptive Sport Day will encourage 

the youth in the United States to participate in and support the practical inclusion of all people in sports; and 

Whereas Paralympic and Adaptive Sport Day creates awareness of and understanding toward individuals with impairments: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates July 29, 2017, as ‘‘Paralympic 

3 and Adaptive Sport Day’’; 

4 (2) supports the inclusive goals and ideals of 

5 the International Paralympic Movement, as well as 

6 opportunities for individuals with impairments to be 

7 full contributing participants in society; 

8 (3) acknowledges the extraordinary contribution 

9 and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces 

10 and veterans who have sustained a traumatic injury 

11 and impairment while serving the United States; 

12 (4) promotes a more inclusive society for all in13 dividuals with impairments through Paralympic and 

14 adaptive sports throughout the United States; and 

15 (5) promotes the values of the International 

16 Paralympic Movement, including courage, deter17 mination, inspiration, and equality. 

Æ 


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