The paralympians are ready to inspire us

In about three months, after the conclusion of the Olympic Games, the 14th Summer Paralympic games are going to be held in London from August 29 to September 9. Ukrainian team tends to get better results each time, and this year it is going to participate in the games too. Let us remind that four years ago in Beijing, the Ukrainian National Paralympic Team numbering 124 people was the fourth in the total ranking, following the leading Chinese, British, and US teams, and leaving the rest of the countries behind. In 2004 Ukraine ranked 6th, in 2000 – 35th, and in 1996 – 44th. Ukraine won a sensationally high number of medals at the Beijing Paralympics – 74 (24 gold, 18 silver, and 32 bronze medals). President of the Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee Valerii Sushkevych says he has already made some assumptions as to the medals that are going to be won by Ukrainian team at the 2012 Paralympics, but it is too early to talk about it yet.

“Inspire a generation” – this is the official slogan of the 2012 Paralympic Games. It carries the idea that people with limited abilities can achieve more than completely healthy people, and inspire us with their victories. The United Kingdom is the homeland of paralympic movement, a place where the idea of sport for the disabled, idea of equal possibilities was born. Nowadays, disabled people in this country can enjoy equal rights, and it was the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine, who decided to announce to the Ukrainian community this sports event that will take place after Euro-2012.

“In 2012, Olympic and Paralympic Games are going to be integrated into one process. And people with disabilities will have the best access to the games that was ever presented. This applies to all types of transport, and also special kinds of transport. For example, there are going to be special buses that will carry up to six people in wheelchairs at all times. Besides, volunteers are being trained all around Great Britain now, they will help people with limited abilities move around the city,” said Ambassador of Great Britain to Ukraine Lee Turner.

Also, according to Simon Minty, specialist on diversity and inclusivity (the UK), it is expected that the Paralympics will be attended by 250,000 people, and 8 percent of them are going to be people with limited abilities. A total of 4,200 athletes from 160 countries are going to compete for 471 medals during 11 days in 20 different kinds of sports. Besides, the organizers draw attention to the fact that a record number of representatives of the mass media are going to attend the Paralympics this year – 6,000, and it is planned to sell 1.5 million tickets.

According to the preliminary forecasts of the National Paralympic Committee, 150 Ukrainian athletes are going to participate in the competitions. The committee’s press service said that in this case this is going to be the largest Ukrainian team in history to take part in the Paralympics. Ukrainian sportsmen are going to compete in 12 kinds of sports: athletics, swimming, wheelchair fencing, archery, football 7-a-side, shooting, table tennis, volleyball sitting (women), etc. Ukrainian sportsmen are going to make their debut in track cycling. At this time our paralympic team has 75 licenses (102 sportsmen), but it is not the final complement yet. They are still adding sportsmen in such kinds of sports as athletics and swimming, where traditionally a greater number of competitors is presented. Practically all meetings dedicated to training and preparation of the disabled sportsmen are held at the National Paralympics and Deaflympics Training and Disabled Rehabilitation Center in Yevpatoria and at the Western Rehabilitation Sports Center in Lviv oblast.