Paralympic athlete slams people who label disabled athletes as ‘inspiration porn’: ‘This mentality is toxic’

Canadian Paralympic star Allison Lang has criticised those who view disabled athletes as “inspiration porn”, criticising the “toxic” attitude towards the event.

This year, the Paralympic Games will take place in Paris, where athletes with various disabilities from all over the world will compete for sporting glory.

As she prepares to represent Canada in the women’s sitting volleyball tournament, Lang spoke out in a column for Today about the discriminatory language she regularly encounters as an athlete with a disability.

The 30-year-old recently took a swipe at those who look to Paralympic athletes as inspiration in a post on Threads. He wrote: ‘If you’re watching the Paralympics, I urge you NOT to say, “If they can do it without legs, then I have no excuse not to run.”

“We are not your inspiration p0rn… We are elite athletes. This mentality is toxic. Thank you.”

Canadian Paralympic star Allison Lang (pictured) has criticised those who label disabled athletes as ‘inspiration porn’

In her column for Today, Lang further explains why such comments are offensive to disabled athletes.

“These comments make us feel less than other people,” she said. “Paralympians are elite athletes. I hope to educate people so that when they watch the Paralympics they see that we are not only inspiring, but also ambitious.

“It’s great to be inspired by incredible athletic achievements. That’s what the Olympics and Paralympics are all about. Be inspired by our achievements, not by our existence.”

Lang, a content creator, speaker, model and Paralympic athlete for Team Canada, was born without her left leg and was bullied as a child because of her disability.

That torment led to body image and self-confidence issues, even leading to suicidal thoughts. Ultimately, sitting volleyball gave her a new lease on life.

“Although my parents are wonderful and raised me like any other child, I struggled to accept myself,” she continued. “Others bullied me because of my disability and I tried so hard to hide my prosthesis, wearing long pants no matter how hot it was, and lying about why I was limping.

This summer, the Paralympic Games are underway in Paris, where athletes with various disabilities from all over the world will compete for sporting glory.

Lang has spoken out about the discriminatory language she encounters as a disabled athlete

The 30-year-old will represent Canada in the women’s sitting volleyball tournament this summer

‘Although I enjoyed soccer, swimming, snowboarding or whatever other sport I tried, I often quit because I didn’t want others to notice my disability. Sometimes I felt like I wanted to die.

‘I was at the lowest point in my life when I was invited to play sitting volleyball. My first thought was: no. Being associated with an adapted sport meant embracing my disability. All my life I wanted to fit in and playing sitting volleyball would make me stand out.

Eventually I decided to give it a try and fell in love with sitting volleyball. I wasn’t very good at it when I started eight years ago. Sitting volleyball requires core strength, endurance and speed. The net is lower, the court is smaller and the pace is faster. Sitting volleyball requires a lot of upper body strength because we slide quickly across the court and have to quickly lift our arms to return a volley.

“While I enjoyed the sport, it was my teammates who kept me coming back. These women shared their stories of becoming disabled and showed their resilience. They had careers, families, children — everything I hoped for in my own life — and they were elite athletes. I finally found people I wanted to be.”