Abstract
In this paper, the lived experiences of “connection” through parasports are considered in terms of intercorporeality. The concept of intercorporeality proposed by Maurice Merleau-Ponty is one of the most fundamental ideas in considering our experiences of interpersonal connection with others that occur in the lifeworld; Perceiving another's action prompts the same action (or its possibility) in the self, and vise versa. Intercorporeality is a potentially resonant relationship between self's body and another's body, which manifests through perception-action loop between them. Based on this concept, first, I would like to show how a spectator's body resonates with those of para-athletes by describing my own experiences of watching Tokyo Paralympic Games. Then, referring to the commentaries given by the assistants of parasports (especially the guide runners of blind marathon), I point out how assistants and para-athletes develop their intercorporeal relationship as the source of mutual understanding as well as shared emotional states. These observations would allow us to consider people's “connection” through parasports in a concrete manner, which possibly substantiate governmental policy related to them.
