“Who Even Runs This Page?!?!” — TikTok Is Dying to Know Who’s Behind the Paralympics Account

Who is running the Paralympics TikTok account, you might wonder? With 3.7M followers, this wildly popular account has become a polarizing point of debate. While some critics argue it pokes fun at athletes with disabilities, others praise it for its inclusivity, humor, and bringing visibility to Paralympic athletes.

So, it is no surprise that users on the popular app are curious who is the social media genius behind the account that has people taking sides.

The account often features videos of athletes in action, set to trending TikTok sounds.

One example, a clip of visually impaired triathletes was titled, “Para Triathlon is swim, bike and air piano. 🎹.” The clip features two men running toward their bikes to perform the cycling portion of a race, as one man searches for his helmet, he appears to be “playing the piano” while he searches due to his visual impairment.

The official Paralympics account wrote in the comments section, “Brad Snyder on piano while on his way to winning gold with guide Greg Billington. He loves a bit of Beethoven.”

The controversy is very clear in the surroudning comments. One user wrote, “Why u did him dirty.” While another wrote, “Y'all I'd like to see like actual accomplishments of the ParaOlympians and highlight reels of their performance.”

Others were more interested in finding the comedy. One wrote, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA good thing he can't see this,” and another, “Whoever runs this needs a raise.”

Another video, with an insanely high 38.5M views, shows a person with dwarfism, screaming while doing the hammer throw, titled, “Scream if you want to throw further.”

To add to the quirkiness, the video is set to the popular TikTok song “Squirrels” with the lyric, “That girl’s got some serious squirrels in her pants.”

This video followed the polarized trend within the comments. Some users found it disrespectful, with one commenting, "You’re laughing at somebody else’s possible disability. That is dark," and another adding, "OMG I hate when people make fun of people with disabilities too it's so ugly."

However, the vast majority of users appreciate the account's approach, with one supporter who said, "This account is so out of pocket and I love it,” and another chipping in, “Whoever runs this page needs a pay rise,” sharing the idea with the commenter in the piano video.

In an interview with the BBC’s Newsbeat, British Paralympic table tennis player Jack Hunter-Spivey defended the account, making the point that it’s healthy for those to make fun of their situations in a healthy way.

He mentioned, "We can also make light of our situation and if I fall out of my chair in front of my friends and I’m not injured, we would make fun of it and we would laugh."

Jess Whyte, a wheelchair basketball player, echoing Jack’s sentiment, agreed, showing that it's important that these athletes have a sense of humor, “The Paralympics is a great opportunity to celebrate difference and if we're going to celebrate the great things, we can also laugh at the funny things.”

One user asked what we were all wondering, “Whooooo is in charge of this account,” to which the @paralympics account trolled, “Glenn Quagglechek.” Glenn Quagmire (born Glenn Quagglechek) is the sex-crazed, perverted neighbor of the Griffins in the hit cartoon Family Guy. So, obviously it is not Glenn Quagglecheck, so who is it?

The International Paralympic Committee did not name names but confirmed that the account is run by a Paralympian who understands disabilities and aims to create engaging content that educates a wider audience about Paralympic sports and the achievements of these athletes.

Despite the mixed reactions, the goal is to blend humor with celebration, keeping discussions on inclusivity and representation alive.

As the debate inevitably continues, the Paralympics TikTok account remains a very popular hub for entertainment and aims to engage viewers with the games, even if doing so in a controversial way.

With 3.7M Followers and 151.9M likes to the page, it kind of proves the point — controversy sells, doesn’t it?