Some of the best things that happen during the summer are the special events that grab the world’s attention — events such as the Summer Paralympic Games. This year London, England will host the Summer Paralympic Games between August 29th and September 9th.
The Paralympic Games differ from the Special Olympics World Games.
Like the Special Olympics World Games, the Paralympic Games take place alternatively in summer and winter. However, the Paralympic Games differ from the Special Olympics World Games. How?
Athletes must have an intellectual disability to compete in the Special Olympics World Games. To compete in the Paralympic Games, athletes must have a physical disability. These physical disabilities may include “blindness, mobility disabilities, amputations, and cerebral palsy.”
The Paralympic Games are a big deal, to say the least. In fact, over 1 million tickets were sold for the 2012 Games during the first three weeks that they were available for purchase. These are record ticket sales for the Paralympic Games.
The Summer 2012 Paralympic Games will boast 42,000 athletes.
These athletes will hail from 160 countries and will take on 20 different types of sports. The Paralympic Games athletes will overcome what some view as insurmountable obstacles just to compete in the Games. This inspiration in action is what keeps the whole world watching the Paralympic Games.
The last Paralympic Summer Games were held in Beijing in 2008. To watch videos from Beijing’s Games, see http://www.paralympic.org/paralympic-games/beijing-2008.
Follow the Summer 2012 Paralympic Games.
You can follow the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games by visiting http://www.london2012.com/ and http://www.paralympic.org/Events/London2012.
If by any chance you would like to travel to London to see the Paralympic Games for yourself, you can purchase tickets here.
Catch up on sporting events from past Paralympic Games.
If you love watching videos online, http://www.paralympic.org/Videos/videos-archive?category=Paralympic%20Games will be a valuable link for you. It will lead you to the Paralympic Games’ video archive. Also, by visiting http://www.paralympic.org/ParalympicGames you can watch video clips of past Paralympic Games sporting events.
This summer, let the 2012 Paralympic Games in London inspire you to be the best you can be.
Mark August 29th-September 9th on your schedule and be sure to tune into the 2012 Paralympic Games. You will be motivated to dream bigger, set new goals, and realize that anything is possible if you refuse to give up!
Sources:
http://www.paralympic.org/ParalympicGames
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Paralympics
http://www.paralympic.org/Events/London2012
http://www.paralympic.org/Events/London2012/AboutUs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralympic_games
*Please note: All research for this article is compiled from direct and third party sources. Mention of programs, organizations and companies does not imply support of The National Benefit Authority. Pictures are for creative purposes only; they are not intended to sell or promote products for the NBA and belong to the accredited individual, organization or company.
Let’s Talk About It
The Summer 2012 Paralympic Games sold over 1 million tickets during the first 3 weeks that they were available for purchase. What does this tell you about society’s interest in the world’s disability community?
Have you ever watched the Paralympic Games? If so, were you encouraged by them?
I Think it would be nice if the government were to set up a nice spot at a lake where persons with disabilities could go and fish and even if most of the fish were just thrown back in they might have a little joy in their lives they never experienced before. I have fished for many of my younger years and I don’t think I ever saw any one who didn’t like fishing of some sort. I am disabled due to vehicle accidents that happened many long years ago and I will suffer until the day I die because its already been 28 years of pain so whats a few more.
Just to be able to do some of the things I used to as a young man would be wonderful. I know many who have always been disabled never even had a little joy you might get catch a big one even if that big one was only a seven or eight inch trout or bass. Still it is like everything else in life just a dream. Reality is more thought than usability in cases like this where disabled ones are concerned. To have joy today is to see a brook babbling over the same rocks it has been for many , many years. To hear the sounds and almost see the salmon rushing up to the falls and jumping with the heart of a racing horse or perhaps it could be the opposite a running horse with the heart of a sock-eye Salmon. If we visualize all the things that have beauty like a sunset over a tired landscape, a child laughing as his father tosses him above his head but not too high and catching him with careful power of love that cares so much for this little one.
Another thing a government could do is make more E-Readers available to disabled ones who love to read and explore the world within and without going anywhere. One time while We were sailing on a large Steel dragger we came across, off the coast of Newfoundland a a well thats another story a true one for another day.