The Paralympic Games in Paris are drawing to an end this weekend, allowing time to look back on an event that has attracted people from around the world.

The Games have delivered passion, excitement and drama in equal amounts, with the French capital again providing the same beautiful, historic backdrop as it had a month earlier in the Olympics.

When discussing Paralympic athletes – all of whom have their own story of facing challenges many will never have to face – it can be hard to strike a balance between admiring their courage and ability to overcome without sounding patronizing, but Britain’s para-cyclist Sarah Storey, who has now won 19 Paralympic gold medals probably put it better than anyone.

“What’s happened in sport can be a metaphor for what could happen in the rest of society. We’ve been given our opportunities to thrive, and we do.

“If you give every disabled person the opportunity to thrive, they will,” she said earlier this week.

The Paralympic Games have helped take disabled people who, d
ecades ago, used to be on the fringes of society – people who sometimes stayed inside, out of sight and out of mind, and put them into the spotlight to show they can “shine”, as Storey put it.

Here are some people who illustrate that: Iran’s sitting volleyball star, Morteza Mehrzad is the perfect illustration of how sport can change a life.

The 36-year-old was born with gigantism.

Coach Hadi Rezaei had only heard about Mehrzad on television, but saw how he could help his team. On Friday, Morteza won his third Paralympic gold medal and can again return home a hero.

“He had been isolated from the population; I was able to bring him into society,” said Rezaei.

Ali Truwit won a silver medal in swimming just 16 months after losing half her left leg to a shark attack, and said that para sport had given her a meaning in life.

“You understand what a second chance at life means, you want to make the most of it,” she said.

Italian sprinter Alessandro Ossola didn’t reach the 100 meters final, but took maybe a bet
ter prize than any medal when his girlfriend agreed to marry him after the semifinal.

Ossola explained he had been “surrounded by darkness” after a motorcycle accident that killed his first wife and left him without most of a leg.

“Sports helped me exit this darkness, this turmoil. It’s a long journey, now I’m here I’m smiling,” he commented, adding that he didn’t like the term ‘disabled’.

“It’s not like that. You are going to the Paralympics because you are one of the best athletes in the world. This is why I am proud to be here,” explained Ossola,

And perhaps one of the strongest voices to explain just what the Paralympics mean doesn’t come from a competitor, but from a guide, who helps visually impaired people compete.

Luke Pollard was literally tied to Dave Ellis as the Briton won a triathlon gold medal, helping him avoid potholes, water bottles and to be aware of the curve in the road as they completed the course.

“My job is to make sure he performs to the best of his ability but also to make sure
he gets round with no mishaps. It’s definitely the best thing I have ever done,” he commented.

At that is the key: the Paralympics give hope, meaning and visibility to the competitors.

The challenge now is to continue those feelings and back them up with actions and the necessary support to allow the athletes and everyone with a disability to keep on ‘shining’ every day, not just during the Paralympics. Enditem

Source: The Namibia Press Agency