Learning from the Paralympics
 

Some people will know that the Paralympics took place this year (2012) in Great Britain. A huge number of countries and talented athletes took part. Records were broken, gold medals were won, and every country that took part was made proud. However, the Paralympics is more than just a sporting event to be watched and then forgotten.

First, there are the obvious lessons to be learnt. Anybody can take part in a sport. You can be able bodied or have a disability, which could be physical or mental. You can be anybody and come from any background. In this day and age, there is a place for everyone. Both the Olympics and the Paralympics should encourage young people to take part in their favourite sport, whether that is basketball, cycling, judo, or table tennis. If you have watched any coverage of the Paralympic games, it is likely that you’ve discovered sports that you didn’t even know existed!

The Paralympics can provide a meaningful lesson to people from all walks of life. Regardless of what is holding you back, whether it’s a lack of confidence, a physical disability, mental illness, your family background or any other number of things, you can achieve your dreams with effort and perseverance. Did you know that David Weir, the British gold medal-winning wheelchair racer, trained from 7:30 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. in Richmond Park in London for eight years to be where he is now? Imagine where even just half of that effort towards your goal could get you!

Despite its power to inspire people around the world, there have been debates surrounding the Paralympics. Some people believe this event makes a spectacle of people with disabilities, where able-bodied people solely watch because they look ‘different’ or ‘funny’, whereas other people say that it is a way to increase public awareness of disabilities, and to empower those with disabilities. Another argument brought up in debates about the Paralympics is that the segregation between able-bodied and disabled athletes is discriminatory, and that it is wrong to split up the games like that. The counter argument is that in the Olympics, these athletes would be at such a disadvantage that they would never have the means to show the world their abilities. For example, Oscar Pistorius entered into both the Olympics and the Paralympics this year. He won Gold medals in the Paralympics, but didn’t get into the finals for the Olympics.

Although the Paralympic Games are now over for another four years, the message they send should live on through those years, because you really can do anything if you put your mind to it.

"[The Paralympic Games have] made people realise that athletes are athletes and people are people. It doesn't matter if you're Usain Bolt or in a wheelchair, we're all people. And everyone just wants to talk about the sport now, so that's good."
(Charles Walker [Great Britain, sitting volleyball] on how the Games have changed people’s attitudes - source.)