Most people are loving this long summer of sport, well its had nothing else going for it has it? It finishes up with the Paralympics, which I'm really impressed with. Now, I dont want to start praising and getting all emotional about these disabled sportsmen and women because anyone who is up there in the higher echelons their particular sports, able bodied or disabled, have to work hard to get there, yea that even goes for those Prima Donas of the sporting world, soccer players.
Ive watched men and women with all sorts of disabilities push themselves to the limits to participate in their particular events. Cyclists with no hands or just one leg, swimmers with no legs or just one arm, some with cerebral pulsey and some blind or partially sighted have all excelled in just taking part, but hang on a minute! Are we not getting to the point in our praise for these amazing people where we are in danger of over reacting to their success? In my opinion we should not, in any way shape or form, compare them to able bodied sportsmen. Each sport has its own technology or technique, its own coaching and medical staff and its own mindset.
There are some disabled sports in which able bodied sportsman would find it difficult to participate in because everything is adapted for the disabled competitor. We talk about particular individual bravery and certain hardships a competitor has to endure to succeed, there's certainly no argument there but whatever sport a disabled person decides to compete in the main thing is a strong determination and thats where that mindset come in. Its probably no more difficult for a disabled person to train and prepare for an event than it is for an able bodied person (maybe a stronger determination to overcome the odds), its just a different set of rules and different coaching techniques, after all some of these athletes have been disabled from birth and have a had a lifetime to adapt to the rigours of modern life so know no different. Then there are those that have acquired their disabilities through an accident or combat, that means learning how to adapt and most do. Watch an animal thats lost a leg, it will adapt.
To me these are the two most important words in this harsh unforgiving world we live in, ADJUST and ADAPT and these paralympians have certainly done that, my respect to them all.
www.whichwayisfriday.webs.com
Ive watched men and women with all sorts of disabilities push themselves to the limits to participate in their particular events. Cyclists with no hands or just one leg, swimmers with no legs or just one arm, some with cerebral pulsey and some blind or partially sighted have all excelled in just taking part, but hang on a minute! Are we not getting to the point in our praise for these amazing people where we are in danger of over reacting to their success? In my opinion we should not, in any way shape or form, compare them to able bodied sportsmen. Each sport has its own technology or technique, its own coaching and medical staff and its own mindset.
There are some disabled sports in which able bodied sportsman would find it difficult to participate in because everything is adapted for the disabled competitor. We talk about particular individual bravery and certain hardships a competitor has to endure to succeed, there's certainly no argument there but whatever sport a disabled person decides to compete in the main thing is a strong determination and thats where that mindset come in. Its probably no more difficult for a disabled person to train and prepare for an event than it is for an able bodied person (maybe a stronger determination to overcome the odds), its just a different set of rules and different coaching techniques, after all some of these athletes have been disabled from birth and have a had a lifetime to adapt to the rigours of modern life so know no different. Then there are those that have acquired their disabilities through an accident or combat, that means learning how to adapt and most do. Watch an animal thats lost a leg, it will adapt.
To me these are the two most important words in this harsh unforgiving world we live in, ADJUST and ADAPT and these paralympians have certainly done that, my respect to them all.
www.whichwayisfriday.webs.com
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