The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games was such a wonderful experience, something refreshingly different than the Olympic Games. 

While there was an elevated sense of competition, outright patriotism, and supreme human performance, there was also an overwhelming expression of cooperation and mutual respect among the Paralympic athletes, trainers, and coaches.  This athletic competition was something that I had never seen or experienced before, although I had a taste of it at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games where a 1.5 km open water swim was held in Athens.  

At the Olympic Village, on the athletes’ transport buses, around Paris, and in restaurants, there were all kinds of physical disabilities in full view.  But Parisian society and the global sporting community was celebrating and helping these people with full enthusiastic support – instead of ignoring or looking away from them.  The stadiums, pools, and venues were packed with excitement and the seats were full or nearly full (especially the pool) where the grit, the joy, and the disappointment of athletic performances was on display.

But there was also something deeper and more profound. 

At the Paralympics, the athletes understand the physical barriers and lifestyle challenges that their teammates and peers face, not only on the playing field, pools, gyms, and simply getting around town or navigating buildings, sidewalks, stairs, cafeterias, buses, schools, and offices, but also in daily life, home, and work. 

The continuing disparity between nations and the physical structures of society were also apparent.  So while the Japanese, German, British, and American athletes had high-tech wheelchairs and the latest prosthetics of every sort, there were athletes from many other countries where the wheelchairs and prosthetics looked no different than what were available in the previous century.  Yet, these athletes – competing in full-on, intense rivalries at the venues – were also extraordinarily cooperative off the playing fields.  

Behind athletes in high-tech wheelchairs were other athletes in much lower-tech wheelchairs…who were being towed, smiling while enjoying new friendships. 

Behind one sighted athlete was a group of blind athletes holding onto each other by a hand on a shoulder.  Athletes without arms were using utensils with their feet…and no one batted an eye.  Little People would high five a taller athlete who bent down with a smile and a hug.  

It was humanity at its most cooperative and mutually respectful finest.

Photo above by Marianne Wieland de Alvarez of Pedro Rangel Haro at the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile in Paris, where the police stopped the traffic for Pedro and his support team to cross the street so Pedro could actually be close to the monument.

Recently, in the English Channel, 47-year-old British Paralympian Melanie Barratt [shown below] and her husband, together with modern technology, have opened up a door for other blind swimmers with her 12 hour 20 minute crossing.

It is wonderful that the channel swimming community have allowed audio communications between a coach on an escort boat and a blind channel swimmer in a ratified Channel crossing. Barratt said, “From a very young age, I’ve seen people swimming in the sea and in lakes and I’ve thought it just looks the way swimming should be. Just to swim without limits really.“

The beauty of the Paralympics is just that: to compete and enjoy life without limits really.

© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“

A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.