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Purdue junior Kendra Lancaster helped the U.S. sitting volleyball team win a silver medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Paralympics got its start in 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttman organized a sports competition for injured World War II.

The first Olympic-style competition for athletes with disabilities was held in Rome in 1960. From 400 athletes representing 23 countries that year, Paralympics has experienced a huge growth spurt. Nearly 4,000 athletes from 136 countries participated in the Beijing games Sept. 6-17.

It has given Lancaster the opportunity to travel and meet people from different walks of life.

“I’m a social person, so meeting all the other athletes on our team and from all the other countries has been a tremendous experience,” Lancaster says. “Whether it’s been the athletes, the coaches and support staff, or the volunteers, I’ve met so many wonderful people through this team. And I’m thrilled about that.”

After spending the summer training in Edmond, Okla., and Colorado Springs, Colo., Lancaster was back on the Purdue campus for the first week of fall classes (Aug. 25-29). Then she was off to China with the U.S. team for the games, causing her to miss two weeks of classes.

“I’m a little worried about missing so much school,” Lancaster admits, “but my professors have been wonderful. They’ve been so supportive. I think they realize that going to China and playing on an international stage is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.”

While in China, Lancaster relied heavily on the support of her parents and friends back home.

“My parents never discouraged me from doing anything. They always pushed me to try new things and have supported me in whatever I tried,” she says.

And she’s finding it helps to have good friends, too.

“A lot of my friends have offered to take notes for me in class,” Lancaster says, “and that has been a huge weight off my shoulders.”

Lancaster’s teammates range in age from 15 to 41. So while Lancaster could be on the front edge of a lengthy career as a Paralympian, Hulett doesn’t know how much longer he will be able to keep her on the team. Lancaster is on schedule to graduate in 2010 and then move on to veterinary school about the time the United States hosts the World Championships in Edmond, Okla.

“I know her coursework at Purdue is difficult and it requires a huge commitment,” Hulett says. “But it would be nice to keep her through 2010. The World Championships would be a great opportunity for her parents to get a chance to watch her play.”

Contact Lancaster at kllancas@purdue.edu