August 31, 2012 Blog

There is something to be said for London hosting the Paralympic games—a large city that can offer the world a view.   Somehow it really amazes me to be on city streets in proximity to Buckingham Palace and now in a hotel near St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Buildings defined through hundreds of years of history, well beyond any chronology directly experienced at home in North America.  There’s something to be said about about time that reminds me of the perseverance in training of what it takes to excel in sport.  I am reminded of the countless minutes, hours, days and months that each athlete competing here had to undertake in training to prepare for these games.  

In a T-3 car ride today with one of the Paralympic volunteer drivers, I again heard about the legacy of England’s involvement in the start of the Paralympic games dating back to 1948 and then the official start and naming of the Paralympics in 1960.  The driver talked about a friend who was involved in the recent rebranding of these games to emphasize competition and athleticism and the sports themselves.  We discussed a movement away from promotion of the games in a charity model, where we pity people with disabilities, to a proactive, positive view of these high-level athletes.   This rebranding is effective in my opinion.  The music, the commercials on Channel 4, are all very appealing in selling the brand.  The driver noted that Channel 4, the British station that is providing coverage, was a better fit for its edginess and contemporiness.  

I would like to take a minute to comment on what the Superhuman commercial that has been running in relation to the Paralympic games means to me.  As a disability rights advocate, I wonder about these athletes being presented as Superhuman.  Is the commercial implying that because they have a disability and are successful athletes they are superhuman?  And if so, I have an issue with that, because what about all the other people with disabilities who are not great athletes and who do not fall into this new and exciting idea of the disabled?  I would like to think the commercial is about all athletes, regardless of what they bring to the game, and that any athlete’s high level of performance qualifies them to be superhuman.  I also want to say I really like the commercial because it is catchy and appealing. I just would like people to think about the superhuman concept.   Click here to check out the commercial and see what you think!

I’ve spent years thinking about how athletes perform.  In fact, my obsession in sports is college basketball and Duke University’s men’s team. Everyone who knows me knows not to talk when they are playing (unless they are up by thirty or more points, in which case I may mutter a few words of yes or no if questioned.)   In the last two days of watching wheelchair basketball, I am impressed with the athleticism and competition, and can say there’s more action than the NBA (said by a self-admitted fan of college basketball over the NBA which never plays defense in my opinion.) 

So with ice hockey being my next second obsession, I’m eagerly awaiting the ice sledge hockey scheduled for the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia.  As a huge fan of Alexander Ovechkin, of the Washington Capitals, I’m looking forward to seeing a similar level of dominance in the Russian ice sledge team.   From what I’m seeing in competition these past two days, the world is ready. 

I look forward to Oscar Pistorius competing tomorrow!