This year, I will focus my research paper on the use of prosthetics in sports. Very recently there has been an ongoing struggle between fairness and advantages in paraplegic athletes. There are ethical dilemmas which athletes, doctors, committees, and competitors face in dealing with these special cases. The eligibility of these disabled athletes is the topic in question. Whether certain prosthetics give any kind of athletic or performance-enhancing advantage to the bodies they are attached to.
It is an interesting question of ‘advantage’ in sports. One article I briefly skimmed noted that a 6’11’’ basketball player certainly has an ‘advantage’ over a 5’0’’ player of the same ability. Does that mean that the paraplegic athlete who has been given the benefits of science and technology has the same advantage of that 6’11’’ basketball player? Or is his different because technology has intervened?
The touchy subject of fairness comes up in this argument as well. We want disabled athletes to feel welcome. We want them to be able to compete just as well against able-bodied athletes, without either feeling the need to feel compassion for the other. These kids grow up their whole lives trying to be ‘normal’ and when we tell them they can’t compete with the ‘normal’ athletes we risk the integrity of competition itself.
I chose this topic because on my ‘interest inventory’ I noted how fascinated I am with the human body. I also realized my interest in ethics, and the morality that surrounds the medical professions. Of course I love sports, and my growing interest in Physical Therapy edged me towards the decision to study more about the training process of these disabled athletes, and what the world is doing to ensure the best athletes are competing against the best athletes, and the ‘advantages’ presented are ‘fair advantages.’
The overall research question is: Do paraplegic athletes with prosthetic limbs have an advantage over able-bodied athletes, and if they do, should they be banned from competing against these bodied athletes?
I think your topic is pretty cool. I have been interested about this topic ever since I read and ESPN magazine article about a soldier who had lost legs in Iraq, but now he plays basketball with prosthetics and dreams of playing for the Lakers. Your question is pretty good because it will allow you to research everything there is to know about prosthetics in sports
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about your topic I remembered the olympic runner who made it to the trials who used prosthetics. I don't remember the specifics of the runner's case but you have a very interesting topic that has very strong arguments on either side.It will be interesting to see what your conclusion is.
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