Clemson students are heading to Paris, France this month for the Paralympic Games on August 28 as part of a study abroad course lead by two RHBSSI faculty fellows from Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management (PRTM), Skye Arthur-Banning, Ph.D., and Jasmine Townsend, Ph.D.
Students will earn credit watching games played around the Arc de Triomphe or walking the Champs-Elysees in Paris while learning about sport and culture and seeing talented athletes from around the globe compete. The 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris will see over 4,400 athletes compete in 23 different sports.
Clemson students have been attending the Paralympic Games since 2010. This year, they will attend a variety of sporting events, walk through the Olympic stadium and meet with athletes. They will hear from sport designers and organizers to learn how the games are put on, their importance to the people of Paris and how disability awareness is growing within France and around the world. Students will also take in the rich culture of Paris by visiting the world-famous Louvre Museum and Eiffel Tower and eat some of the finest of French cuisine.
“One goal of the course is to expose students to the Paralympic Games as one of the largest international sporting events in the world,” said Arthur-Banning. “Through this experience, they will understand the planning and details, logistics and more that go into a large-scale sporting event.”
A second aim is to encourage students to think about and see the value of Parasport and appreciate all of the different sporting events, as well as the wide variety of people with disabilities that are able to experience sport. Arthur-Banning and Townsend hope that the students’ worldview will be broadened, and they will become advocates for people with disabilities and the programs that serve them.
Follow RHBSSI on LinkedIn and Instagram for updates from Paris.
Arthur-Banning’s first study abroad group in Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Paralympic Games. 
Arthur-Banning serves as a referee for Cerebral Palsy Football (Soccer) at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil for the Brazil vs. Ireland match. 
Clemson students pose with a tiger rag at the 2018 Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Led by Arthur-Banning and Ph.D. student Young Suk Oh.
