Para-Olympian, Olympian to me there is no difference, to represent your country just to be asked is the greatest honor a person can ever experience for many it is the one of culmination to a lifelong program of training and dedication and it all led to the Olympics.
So whether you’re an amputee or Michael Phelps, you are a national hero and you deserve the respect of a nation. So my readers let’s stop using that inflection ,you know the one”OH you were just a Para Olympian” salute the hard work and years of service to their nations their communities and their sports and download the program. Let’s hold viewing parties you can contact the teams and send support emails and let them know we see no difference all we see is an honorable champion doing what we cannot and ascending the mountain that is the culmination of a lifetimes work. Let’s as a nation join together and cheer them on as hard as you do any other Olympian, because when you look behind the uniform I can tell you from being honored to call at least 6 Olympians both able bodied and Para, personal friends that they apart from rigorous training normally serve their communities tirelessly. They serve by coaching children and speaking before parliaments and congress to get funding for sports for underserviced communities, and starting foundations for aboriginal and inner city children These Champions don’t stop serving when the Olympics are closed, so let’s not stop our service to them either Three cheers for our champions in London however they got there.
I’m more looking forward to watching this than I am the standard Olympics.