Loose Lips - Paralympic Games information

[Anne & Zener GA]

Hello all, if you are in withdrawal from the Olympics, well get ready. Those games were just the warm up! The London 2012 Paralympic Games begin 29 August - 9 September in the same park and venues. I will be there working as a classifier for wheelchair rugby. My job is to evaluate athletes to group them for competition. Classification is similar to grouping athletes by sex or weight, but we use impairment (such as loss of strength, or limb loss) to group athletes so that it is the athlete with the best training and skill who wins. Here are a few links including one on how to see the games. NBC has decided to show bits and bobs on tv, and there are hours of online coverage through the International Paralympic Committee website.

http://www.paralympic.org/
The International Paralympic Committee

http://paralympic.org/news/usa-announce ... ondon-2012
Broadcast plans for Paralympic Games in the US

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AVaVvqb ... e=youtu.be
Meet the wheelchair rugby Paralympians. This is the group I’ll be working with. I love the quote about what else can happen if you've already broken your neck! What a fantastic group of athletes!

http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/ ... pe=article
Changing over from Olympics to Paralympics

http://video.pbs.org/program/medal-quest/
Videos on Paralympic athletes

http://www.paralympic.org/news/locog-re ... ay-details
Details on the unique Paralympic Torch Relay.

Let the Games begin!

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Thanks for posting the links Anne.

If anyone is interested in a lighthearted story on wheelchair rugby, here is a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG0K0c1WIFU&feature=plcp from the Rick Mercer Report show on CBC.

 

[Anne & Zener GA]

Thanks for posting this video Wendy. I've not seen it before and it's great. Wheelchair rugby is a national heritage sport in Canada, where it was invented by Duncan Campbell (fondly know as "The Quad Father") and two of his friends. Dave Willsie featured in the video is one of the best players in the world, and as you can tell by the video, a great ambassador for the game. Many of the athletes in the video I have classified over the years. Canada has an excellent chance to medal in the London games.

 

[Ann & Maggie11 (GA)]

Anne, how inspiring and what a great opportunity for you to be working with the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Thanks for those links. I have been in withdrawal since the Olympics are over, not much on TV at 1 and 2 am in the mornings.