Purpose: Persons with disabilities in Iran encounter significant psychosocial barriers that restrict their engagement in public sports and limit pathways toward elite performance. This study aimed to develop a data-driven explanatory model describing how sports participation evolves among persons with disabiliti ion between public and elite sports.

Methods: Using Classical Grounded Theory (Glaserian GT), data were gathered through 20 unstructured in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document revie ding. Data collection and analysis progressed simultaneously until theoretical saturation was achieved.

Results: A core category emerged: “The cyclical process of reciprocal role-modeling and motivational activation between public and elite sports.” The cycle includes: (1) marginalization due to psychosocial barriers; (2) entry into public sports through a small initial success supported by family or coaches; (3) advancement to competitive levels when talent is identified and structural support is provided; and (4) the intentional return of elite athletes to public settings to model success, reduce barriers, and restart the cycle for newcomers.

Conclusion: Strengthening all phases of this cycle—reducing psychosocial barriers, empowering families, systematizing talent identification, and leveraging elite athletes’ reverse role-modeling—is essential for expanding participation and improving psychosocial well-being. The model offers practical guidance for developing an inclusive, integrated sports system for persons with