Newswise — As all eyes turn to the 2014 Olympic games, there will be inspiring stories about athletes participating in the Paralympic games. University of Louisville professor and sports expert Mary Hums thinks the international exposure will do wonders to showcase the capabilities of all athletes. She is an author and activist who advocates for equal opportunity for disabled athletes.

Hums was part of a team that worked on a United Nations's article to ensure the rights of the disabled. The article was ratified in 2008. She says the U.N. article signifies hope and opens doors for disabled athletes.

Hums explains:

"Maybe there's a young girl in Uganda and she gets a soccer ball — a real soccer ball and not the ones they make with paper and tie them together. And she's got a disability. It's the first time ever that she's been able to kick a soccer ball around with the other kids. Now she goes to school — and learns. She's bright. Her sport opportunities helped her develop some self-confidence, helped her develop those good things that come along with sports and enabled her to do better in school. Who knows where she'll end up? Maybe someday she'll go to med school."

To learn more about Hums and her work with and on behalf of disabled athletes, see: http://louisville.edu/education/faculty/hums and https://louisville.edu/uofltoday/campus-news/20-minutes-with-trustees-award-winner-mary-hums

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