Two sports are unique to Paralympic competitions: Boccia (similar to petanque) and Gameball. The other sports — rugby, volleyball, or fencing, for example — are adapted to suit the players' abilities. This photo shows a men's Sitting Volleyball match. The USA women's team won the gold medal later in the games.

I understand that television coverage of the Games was sketchy in the States, at least on the free channels. Here in France, one of the free national channels broadcast thirteen or fourteen hours of direct every day. As is the case everywhere, priority went to the national Paralympic teams. The Opening Ceremonies were spectacular, with a gorgeous red and orange sunset behind the Arch of Triumph as the first teams paraded down the Champs Elysees and a series of amazing inclusive dances once all the athletes were in place. Just as for the Opening of the Olympic Games six weeks earlier, half of the Closing Ceremony took place in the rain, but no one seemed to care.

Jean-Pierre and I attended two days of competition: Goalball and Wheelchair Basketball. Each time, there were two matches, one men’s and one women’s.

Goalball is one of the two ball sports reserved for the visually impaired. It is similar to handball, except the players bowl a ten-inch rubber ball with three metal bells inside toward the opposite goal. The three players of the opposing team block the goal with their bodies. All the players wear eye patches and dark eye shades, completely blocking their vision. The sport requires total silence from the audience during play so that the athletes can hear where the ball is. Goalball demands immense skill, precision, and focus for the athletes, and provides a unique experience for the audience.

The other ballgame for the visually impaired is Blind Football. Those matches were held in the beautiful outdoor venue in front of the Eiffel Tower, and the tickets sold out before the Paralympic Games began. The five infielders are masked, like for Goalball, but the goalkeeper is sighted. The ball has metal shards stitched inside so the players can hear and locate it. Once again, the audience must remain silent during play. The match is very physical, hotly contested, and exciting to watch. At the end of the competition, the gold medal went to the French men's team.

The second event we attended was Wheelchair Basketball. The rules are identical to regular basketball, except for the dribbling rule. Think of how rough the blocking is in an NBA match, transfer that to players in wheelchairs, and you get a cross between basketball and bumper cars. What a game! On the final weekend, the Americans added two more medals to their Olympic basketball record: gold for the men and silver for the women.

When the Games closed, the People’s Republic of China took home almost double the number of gold medals (94) and total medals (220) than the second country, Great Britain. The U.S. came in third, and France eighth. From both popular and athletic standpoints, the Paralympic Games were a resounding success.

One of the fantastic things about the Paralympics this summer was the incredible enthusiasm of the public. Of course, people mostly followed the French team, but the interest extended automatically to other delegations, and we all discovered some fascinating sports and athletes. The last hurrah will take place tomorrow, September 14th, with the parade of the French Paralympique Team down the Champs-Elysées.

There is one more detail I’d like to mention. There were several “punny” signs around town with plays on French and English pronunciation. One said, “Have a gourde* day” because the public was asked to bring drinking gourds instead of plastic bottles. “Eau*, là, là” indicated a drinking fountain. And “One, two tri*!” (pronounced “tree”) promoted sorting waste for recycling.



-- Sheryl

P.S. It occurred to me that Rudolph’s story could serve as a lighthearted parallel for this newsletter about the Paralympic Games. In the song, Rudolph was ridiculed and excluded because of his unusual nose: “All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.” But when Santa recognized that Rudolph’s difference was actually an advantage, and invited him to guide the sleigh, Rudolph’s uniqueness allowed him to “go down in history.”

While Rudolph's story is about being different rather than living with a disability, it reminds us how often people are overlooked or excluded because they do not fit the norm. The Paralympic Games, like Santa’s team, show us that when we embrace those differences, everyone can shine in their own way.

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