What the Paralympics means to me

By Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta

(Filipino Paralympian)

MANILA, Philippines - As a young Ifugao growing up in an institution for children with disabilities, sport was sort of an escape for me. As it turned out, it has become more than that. Sport is my teacher. The lessons I have learned from it have been applicable to other areas of my life – persistence, resilience, teamwork and more.

Sport has also paved the way for me to do my country proud in my own little way. But the medals that I have gained along the way are just the icing on the cake of unforgettable life experiences that sport has given me.  I hope that my experiences and achievements will inspire other persons with disabilities to make a difference.

I look forward to competing in the London Paralympic Games. It will be my fourth time competing in the Games, and may very well be my last as I plan to retire in 2014. Every host country brings its own unique flavor to the Games, and in London I expect no less than a high level of competition that will break and set many records. But the Paralympics are also about making new friends and just revelling in the fun and excitement that the Games are sure to bring.

The London Paralympics offers a unique opportunity to bring about a change in the way people think, feel and behave towards disability and disability sport. My personal goal is to use sport as an avenue for raising awareness on the plight of persons with disabilities, and to eventually gain acceptance and equality. Being into sport can be the first step towards being in the mainstream of society.

I am already happy that the International Paralympic Committee has achieved the recognition it has now and I hope that its identity and standing will be maintained or strengthened in the next decade.

Locally, though, I hope that disability sport will gain equal acceptance and recognition by the law and by my fellow Filipinos. I hope that in the near future athletes with disabilities will not be looked upon as “outreach” sports program beneficiaries but worthy athletes deserving of equal support and respect. My ambition for my country is to see within ten years the fruition of all the disability rights being discussed at present. I would also like to see Filipinos with disabilities – ourselves – taking more part in nation-building and achieving our potential.

(Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta made history as the first Filipino Paralympic medallist, winning a bronze in women’s weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. She is part of the Philippine Paralympic Team competing in the London 2012 Paralympics.

By Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson

(British Paralympian)

I will never forget the emotional moment when London was awarded the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I was alongside Sebastian Coe at the IOC meeting in Singapore in July 2005 which made the decision – and when London won, there were wild celebrations at home and in the hall.

Since 2005, the focus has always been about the Olympics and Paralympics, under one organizing committee. That has been hugely positive.

I’m convinced that London 2012 will be the best Paralympic Games we’ve seen and that London will raise the bar for disability sport. The UK has so much to be proud of in terms of its understanding of disabled people, and in terms of putting disability sport on the map, because it was here that the Paralympic movement began. And sport has really led the way in showing what an inclusive world can look like. After such a huge success with the Olympics, I’m looking forward to another fantastic opportunity to show the world what the UK can do, what our society has built – and what a great place London is!

What will the London 2012 Paralympics be like? We have tried to really take the best from previous Games and think about athletes in everything that we do. The world is going to see sport like never before.

My ambition for London 2012 is that it raises the profile of Paralympic sport and the athletes – it is fantastic to see Paralympians like Shelley Woods appearing on billboards and buses around the city. Interest has been increasing with successive Games, and the London 2012 ticket sales have been very impressive. That promises to make a fantastic atmosphere for the athletes competing. I hope that everyone competing from around the world can take time to enjoy it, as it will be over so quickly.

Above all, my hope for London 2012 is that these Games will herald a deeper understanding of disability sport, that the athletes competing will be seen as elite in the same way that our non-disabled athletes have demonstrated at the Olympic Games, and that in future years, host nations will learn from London’s example and will give equal treatment and publicity to both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

(Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is one of the most successful Paralympians ever, winning 11 golds in athletics (wheelchair racing) during her sporting career.She will be heard on BBC 5 as a sports commentator for the London 2012 Paralympic Games).