The Paralympic closing ceremony is fast approaching; with only two days of exhilarating and awe-inspiring sporting conquests remaining, we must say our goodbyes to an emphatic summer that will live long in our memories.
London 2012 has served as a well-informed advertisement for the world of disabled sports, a world that I feel a sense of ignorance for not having deeply explored until now. The Paralympic Games has raised the profile of not only disabled sports, but particularly the athletes that are partaking in these truly magnificent games. Whilst the likes of South Africa's sprint runner, Oscar Pistorius, Great Britain's swimmer-turned-cyclist, Sarah Storey, and wheelchair athlete, David Weir are Paralympic medal veterans, London 2012 has elevated the status of athletes such as Great Britain's Jonnie Peacock who triumphantly stormed to victory in the T44 100m sprint.
It is when watching these Paralympians that one can truly be inspired - inspired to seize every opportunity regardless of the nature of its delivery. Each competitor at the Paralympic games has their own unique story driving them to succeed, and each was faced with a very personal set of challenges that they were seeking to overcome. Consequently, this enables spectators to demonstrate a higher level of appreciation for the journeys that the athletes have set forth on. Many of the athletes encountered either physical or intellectual challenges from birth or an early age; others were met with the daunting prospect of entering this unfamiliar realm after illness or accidents thwarted the paths their lives were mapped out to take. Sport, fundamentally, remains the common denominator throughout each individual journey and proves itself to be the unspoken universal language of the world, allowing individuals from all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to represent themselves and their nations in striving to fulfil lifelong dreams and ambitions of success.
Aside from the medal achievements, world records and team victories, it is certain that children and adults alike will convert the admiration that they possess for our London 2012 heroes into motivation in seeking to partake in the wealth and breadth of sport on offer. We must take inspiration from these Paralympian superhumans, and use the Games as ignition to spark a new chapter in each of our lives.
London 2012 has served as a well-informed advertisement for the world of disabled sports, a world that I feel a sense of ignorance for not having deeply explored until now. The Paralympic Games has raised the profile of not only disabled sports, but particularly the athletes that are partaking in these truly magnificent games. Whilst the likes of South Africa's sprint runner, Oscar Pistorius, Great Britain's swimmer-turned-cyclist, Sarah Storey, and wheelchair athlete, David Weir are Paralympic medal veterans, London 2012 has elevated the status of athletes such as Great Britain's Jonnie Peacock who triumphantly stormed to victory in the T44 100m sprint.
It is when watching these Paralympians that one can truly be inspired - inspired to seize every opportunity regardless of the nature of its delivery. Each competitor at the Paralympic games has their own unique story driving them to succeed, and each was faced with a very personal set of challenges that they were seeking to overcome. Consequently, this enables spectators to demonstrate a higher level of appreciation for the journeys that the athletes have set forth on. Many of the athletes encountered either physical or intellectual challenges from birth or an early age; others were met with the daunting prospect of entering this unfamiliar realm after illness or accidents thwarted the paths their lives were mapped out to take. Sport, fundamentally, remains the common denominator throughout each individual journey and proves itself to be the unspoken universal language of the world, allowing individuals from all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to represent themselves and their nations in striving to fulfil lifelong dreams and ambitions of success.
Aside from the medal achievements, world records and team victories, it is certain that children and adults alike will convert the admiration that they possess for our London 2012 heroes into motivation in seeking to partake in the wealth and breadth of sport on offer. We must take inspiration from these Paralympian superhumans, and use the Games as ignition to spark a new chapter in each of our lives.
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