Beginning next week is the world’s second-largest international sports competition: the Paralympic Games, an event with a surprisingly long and interesting history beginning with roots as physical rehabilitation/therapy for World War II veterans.
Guesting on this extra edition of Truly The GOATs is now three-time(!) guest Dr. Dennis Frost. Dennis has previously joined TTG for episode #6 on sumo wrestling and episode #14 on 1920s track-and-field superstar Kinue Hitomi, but his latest book entitled More Than Medals: A History of the Paralympics and Disability Sports in Postwar Japan shows his academic specialty.
Dennis talks with host Os Davis about Paralympics history, the influence of the Games on Japanese culture, the local populace’s reaction to hosting another mega sports event after a pretty locally controversial Tokyo Olympics, a couple of notable (or notorious) Paralympians of the past, China’s recent dominance and, since this is Truly The GOATs, a handful of GOAT Paralympians.
