PARALYMPICS

I spent part of the weekend watching the Paralympics. What? You weren't watching them? You didn't see them on TV? That is because NBC didn't broadcast them. The Paralympics didn't rate high enough to get television coverage. To watch them I had to go online to YouTube and if someone was nice enough in another country (usually Britain) to record and put them on YouTube, I could watch them. I watched table tennis (or ping ping as we call it), judo, cycling and swimming.

In the Paralympics each level of disability is given a code number and only other folks with that code number can compete against each other. Each sport is also given a code letter. So S7 means swimming with disability 7. Where with the Olympics there is one 200 meter race, with the Paralympics there are many 200 meter races, one for each number level, in order to keep the playing field level.

I am just sad that the games are not shown on regular TV. What is it with America? In Britain they had more than 60,000 at the opening ceremonies and it is televised. That is 2.5 weeks after the Olympics! That is pretty good! Why is America so afraid of people with challenges? It is bad enough we have sucky health care but that we are still unable to televise the Paralympics is sad. I find it inspiring to watch people overcome their physical and mental challenges. It made me want to get out and walk my dogs!

Have you been able to see the Paralympics? If not and you want to, google Paralympics and you can view them on YouTube.

Until tomorrow...