Have you been watching any of the paralympics? My goodness, those people are amazing!
Swimmers with no arms, hitting the wall with their heads. Men and women running with one, or two, prosthetic legs, and doing times most able-bodied people can’t manage. People with barely functioning legs and one arm not working, lashed to a pole and throwing a shot put with one working arm…and getting distances most of us, with everything in working order, can’t dream of getting. Blind men playing soccer… How do they know where the net is? How do they pass the ball to each other? It’s one thing to kick the thing in the general direction, but how the heck do they know how or when to pick it up with their foot and move it on to the next?
Not only are they achieving mind-boggling things with bodies most of us would have used as an excuse to withdraw from life, they do it with such joy. They’re thrilled if they win a medal – any colour – but they’re also delighted to simply take part. I saw an interview with a young man who had both arms amputated at the elbow and both legs amputated just below the knees. He was a swimmer. He came fourth in his race, and he’d swum against men who had at least one working arm, and some had two. When asked if he was disappointed he didn’t do better he said, “It’s such a great event to come to. I’m proud to swim for (his country) and I’m having fun.” Take away the high-powered sponsorship, the pressure to win at all costs, and lo and behold the athlete is allowed to have fun. Strangely enough that seems to produce better results as well.
I watched some of the races for the sight-challenged and thought: If I take my glasses off, I could compete in that. (Without my spectacles I can barely see my hand in front of my face.) Pity I can’t run. Then I thought: If I can’t run, maybe I could try some of the other events?
I can’t shoot; I’ve always been terrified of guns. I can’t sail (chronic sea-sickness). I’ve never been able to get the basketball through the hoop. My arms are too weak to heave a shot-put or discus. I can’t swim fast (or get into a bathing suit). There’s no way known to man I could bend my sausage legs into one of those fabulous racing wheelchairs. I’ve always been crap at table tennis and… Flipping heck; I’m too decrepit to take part in the paralympics!
It’s certainly been inspirational stuff. If someone is passionate, determined and willing to work hard they can achieve amazing, outstanding, unbelievable things. One young cerebral-palsied cycling medallist said: The word “can’t” isn’t in my dictionary. So, no excuses.
I’ve just got to find the right event, and then the oomph to train, the discipline to get up early and…perhaps not. I’ll go with my strengths. I reckon I’d be a dead cert for a gold medal in “watching and cheering”. Look out Rio, here I come!