The Parapan American Games became a regional qualifying event for the Paralympic Games — athletes competing in 1999 knew that a place at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Summer Games was at stake.
In 2003, Mar del Plata, Argentina, was the Host City for the Parapan Am Games. Coming off the success of the 1999 Parapan Am Games in Mexico City, the scope of the second edition widened: 1,500 athletes from 28 countries competed in nine sports.
The popularity of the Parapan Am Games continued to grow. The Rio 2007 Parapan Am Games were hailed as a great success and as a milestone for the history of the Paralympic Movement in the Americas where 1,150 athletes from 25 countries competed in 10 sports. Rio was also the first Parapan Am Games to be held in the same city as its Pan Am counterpart, with just one Organizing Committee for both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.
The Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games had 1,300 athletes from 26 countries compete in 13 sports. In 2015, the scope of the Parapan Am Games will continue to grow as TORONTO 2015 stages the largest Parapan Am Games ever.