 The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi @-@ sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete . This includes athletes with mobility disabilities , amputations , blindness , and cerebral palsy . The Winter Paralympic Games are held every four years directly following the Winter Olympic Games . The Winter Paralympics are also hosted by the city that hosted the Winter Olympics . The International Paralympic Committee ( IPC ) oversees the Winter Paralympics . Medals are awarded in each event : with gold medals for first place , silver for second and bronze for third , following the tradition that the Olympic Games started in 1904 . 
