Thoughts on the Paralympics

My brain isn’t as mushy now and I’ve thought about the Paralympics since I’ve been home. I am so impressed with the athletes I got to see. Of course, I am biased towards my own son, David, and so proud of him for deciding to get back into the “swim” of things after his accident. If it wasn’t for him, we would have probably never ventured a trip to China. I saw many of the other athletes because China TV had events on everyday, all day. I saw disabilities of many classifications and marveled at their competitive spirit.

I saw fans come together and cheer the athletes. It didn’t take long to overlook whatever disability the athlete had to overcome and just see the athlete’s ability. The Paralympic theme of Trancendence, Equality, and Integration became internalized. The trancendance was for me – to see the athlete and not the disability. The equality is for the athlete and the family – venues to compete in that are equal to what the able body athletes get to compete in. After talking to family members, I was told that Beijing took this theme of equality to a new level. And yet more could be done – live coverage or even sports updates within different media for these athletes were not available everywhere. Accessibility to get around was much improved in China but more could still be done as in other countries including the USA.
These disabled athletes are courageous as they integrate into society whether at school, with other able bodied athletes they train with, or in the work place. Their families have supported them and probably fought many battles with and for them to be included in society in as many ways as possible. The Paralympic Venue brought all these elements together to share the notion that a disability doesn’t have to be a handicap.

For me, I saw the hand of God whether it was keeping us safe in a huge, unfamiliar foreign city governed by a Communist regime, or helping us find a lost cell phone within a few hours of losing it. Mostly, I saw how God works in human beings to give hope to difficult situations. These families and fans came together because life is hard. Some athletes were born with their disabilities, others acquired them through disease or accidents, yet because human beings are instilled with the characteristics of hope, love, charity and faith, we got to see them excel and live a full life. With more knowledge and awareness of the possibilities available more disabled people can get into the “swim” of things, too.