Every four years the world tunes in to watch the most extraordinary athletes compete on the grandest stage. For two weeks, the Paralympic Games captivates the hearts and minds with triumphs that defy belief and heartbreaks that resonate deeply. Yet, as the Games conclude, these remarkable feats are often shelved, only to be rekindled in our memories when the next Games return.

These days, though, social media has transformed the landscape of visibility, providing athletes and sporting organisations (SOs) with a platform to consistently gain and maintain exposure between each Paralympic Games.

Kasey Symons, a sports media researcher at Deakin University, tells upstart that apps like Instagram and TikTok now provide Paralympic athletes with a platform to share their personal stories and perspectives.

“Social media is an amazing landscape to open up a whole different world of voices that haven’t been afforded mainstream media coverage,” she says.

“[It’s] a powerful space for those voices to get their stories out there in ways that are authentic and meaningful to them, finding like-minded people and their community.”

One of many athletes with a disability using social media to enhance visibility and representation is Shelley Matheson. The three-time Paralympic wheelchair basketballer for the Australian Gliders knows taking an advocacy role on social media is crucial.

“I put pressure on myself to do it because I know how important … finding my own wheelchair basketball community [was for me], and so, I really want to make sure that that’s available for other people,” she says.

“I think, if I’ve got a presence out there and someone’s looking, then that’s good.”

Symons notes that historically, traditional sports media has focused on men’s sport, which has unconsciously influenced what content is posted by SOs.

“For so long, sport has just been a space to highlight the stories of white, cisgender heterosexual men who are participating in sport, and we’re trying to rectify that as a society now,” she says.

“Sports organisations are trying … to put some more visibility onto different athletes and their diverse lived experiences, including disability sports and para-athletes. But at the same time, I think for most it’s just an afterthought.”

Matheson and fellow Paralympian Carol Cooke have been frustrated with the lack of representative content posted, pushing them to share their own narratives.

Cooke, a three-time gold medal winning Paralympic cyclist, says that she and fellow para-athletes play a crucial role in increasing the visibility of disability sports, a commitment that led her to become a Change Our Game ambassador.

“I think we as athletes are great for changing the ideals and the thoughts of clubs to include people with disabilities, and that doesn’t have to be just as a player in a sport,” Cooke says. “That could be through administration, through coaching, even umpiring.”

Now more than ever sports enthusiasts can engage with their favourite teams, leagues and athletes, and so can those who aren’t sports fans. Symons says social media has attracted new followers who wouldn’t have engaged with sports at all because of the community feel of these accounts.

“I think that’s why some sports fans are coming to social media who we wouldn’t call traditional sports fans. Because the sports content … in mainstream media isn’t something they like to consume, but they find athletes on social media that are a bit more fun,” she says.

Matheson consciously aims to post content with her wheelchair, believing it is important for others to see. She also shares moments with her two children and husband to show that women with disabilities can be both athletes and parents, and to inspire others with disabilities to embrace multiple roles in life.

“I never saw women with wheelchairs and children, because there was no social media,” she says. “But it was so important to me when I did see that, to just know that that was an option for me.”

Social media has allowed athletes to easily connect with people and build communities based on their shared experiences and relatability. The greater accessibility and live interactions have transformed them from distant figures into approachable role models, helping fans to see beyond the accolades and appreciate the challenges and triumphs that shape their journey.

Despite a small following of 1,048, Matheson has noticed that her online presence can also help raise awareness and engage individuals in the sport of wheelchair basketball.

Before the Paris Olympics, Basketball Australia held a tournament where both the able-bodied and wheelchair national teams came together in Melbourne. Matheson shares that during this tournament, she noticed a young woman in a wheelchair sitting courtside. After the game, she approached the woman and introduced herself.

Greeted with excitement, the woman told Matheson that she’s from Melbourne and wants to play basketball. She also said she uses her own Instagram page to document her experience being in a wheelchair and trying new things.

The two ended up connecting on the social media platform, where Matheson saw the woman’s enthusiasm and passion for disability sports.

“Having seen her post, [where she’s] like, ‘oh my god, the Gliders, please come back. I loved you. I want this to happen every month’. Seeing that was so exciting for me,” she says.

Since this interaction, Matheson and others are now working to involve the woman in their women’s community program, aiming to connect her with other disabled women while encouraging her basketball aspirations.

Matheson’s story is one that shows how the growth of social media has provided other athletes with an opportunity to blossom. She and Cooke are among the many elite athletes with disabilities who are paving the way for the future of disability sports, ensuring continued exposure long after the Paralympics have ended.

Article: Amelia Pozdzik is a second-year Bachelor of Media and Communication (Sports Media & Marketing) student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on Twitter @Amelia_Pozdzik

Photo: Australian Matt Cameron at the 2012 London Paralympic Games by Sport the Library is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has not been modified.