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Although the Pan Am Games may have ended, the excitement hasn't died down just yet. The Parapan Am Games are set to begin this month (August 7, 2015) and will continue until August 15th.

This year's Parapan Am Games will be the fifth edition since the Pan Am Games began, and it will include a number of unique sporting events. Among these are archery, wheelchair basketball and rugby, goalball, and many more.

Image courtesy of Ben Rodford on a CC license.

The history of paralympic sport is a rich one. Here's a quick rundown from the official Pan Am/Parapan Am Games website:

Sport for athletes with a disability has existed for more than 100 years. It was not until after World War II, however, that sports for athletes with a disability were widely introduced as a way to assist in the rehabilitation of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during wartime.

In 1944, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann opened a spinal injuries centre at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain and, in time, rehabilitation sport evolved to recreational sport and then to competitive sport.

On July 29, 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair athletes — named the Stoke Mandeville Games — where 16 injured servicemen and women competed in archery. In 1952, Dutch ex-servicemen joined the movement and the International Stoke Mandeville Games were founded. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined the games and an international movement was born.

Inclusivity and accessibility has been a huge part of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. If you tuned into the Pan Am Games' opening and closing ceremonies, you may have noticed American Sign Language translation. Also, all the medals awarded to athletes this year will include the enscription "Toronto 2015" in English, Spanish, French and Braille. This will mark the first time Braille has been incorporated into all medals for both Parapan Am and Pan Am winners.

There is lots to look forward to for the upcoming Games. If you're in a library branch with a TV, you're likely to see coverage of the many sporting events taking place during the Parapan Am Games. You can also look out for great book displays and activity ideas at a number of branches. 

Two separate torch relays will begin on August 3rd (one in Niagara Falls and the other in Ottawa) and unite at the Parapan Am opening ceremonies on August 7. When the Games wrap up on August 15th, the closing ceremonies at Nathan Phillips Square will be sure to dazzle the crowd. Best of all? The closing ceremonies are free to attend!

Image courtesy of Sean_Marshall on a CC license.