A couple of weeks ago, Altimate Medical Inc. exhibited at the International Seating Symposium in Vancouver, Canada. I had the unique opportunity of experiencing some of the 2010 Paralympics after the Symposium ended.
The Paralympics Opening Ceremony definitely did not disappoint! The 2.5 hour program was spectacular, amazing, emotional and most of all, inspiring. This was not a rehash of the Olympic Ceremonies or a sympathy party, but an energized tribute to extraordinary people that are determined to achieve great things. It started out as expected, with the music and ceremony then, about 20 minutes into the program Luca Patuelli, aka, LAZYLEGZ came out to center stage. The center platform rose and he did a handstand straight up above his crutches, then dropped down onto the stage break dancing with six other break dancers. I knew then that this was going to be extraordinary. There was a heavy metal, upper and lower amputee singer that came out on stage on a motorcycle with about 30 people in rugby chairs, hand cycles, and racing chairs with lights attached, in semi-darkness. There was also wheelchair skate boarding featuring Aaron Fotheringham doing his famous wheelchair back flip.
But the most emotional part of the program was the tribute to two Canadians: Rick Hansen and Terry Fox. Rick Hansen pushed around the world and is an accomplished athlete. Rick took center stage to officially welcome the athletes and to pay tribute to the competition. At age 22, Terry Fox ran 5,300K in 143 days across Canada, with a high AK amputation prosthesis, and died shortly after from the cancer that took his leg. Terry’s parents walked out on stage and handed the torch to a 15 year old snowboarder, who lit the flame to start the games.
As we walked and rolled out of the stadium, everyone was still feeling the excitement. We made our way through the city of Vancouver and headed down to the water front to see that the official Olympic flames were re-ignited (on the final day of the Olympics, at the closing ceremony, the flames are extinguished, but they were re-lit during the opening of the Paralympics). Vancouver, and all of Canada, came out to embrace the Paralympics and I am sure the athletes from all over the world felt that embrace.
This is a condensed version of an article that will be featured in NSCIA’s SCI Life.
Photos of the Paralympics thanks to Mary Carol Peterson of Top End Wheelchairs.
Wow! Sounds like it was a very moving event. Great pictures!!
I was part of the AMI staff that attended the Paralympics Opening Ceremony and as Andy as stated this was a event that was “spectacular, amazing, emotional and most of all, inspiringI” One I know I will never forget!