The Paralympics: what are the challenges facing athletes with disabilities?

The Paralympic Games, like the Olympics, are often the high point of an athletes career. But competing at such an elite level requires extraordinary dedication and investment of time and resources, in a career that may only last a few years.

In all the tension and drama of the Games it is easy to forget that athletes are also workers and, outside competition, they still need to earn a living and are entitled to the same rights and protections as any other worker. Yet sporting careers present particular challenges, beyond those inherent in competition. They are often short, and in many sports only a handful of competitors - often household names -  earn enough from their sport to live on. For athletes and former athletes with disabilities, this may be even more difficult.

So, what is life like as a Paralympic athlete? How do elite sports-people balance the demands of sporting excellence with earning a living? And how do the Paralympic Games promote disability inclusion?