With everyone glued to their televisions, laptops and smartphones and oozing Olympic fever, it brings to the forefront of what is to come next month: the Paralympic Games.
As an athlete that trains every day alongside these dedicated athletes, I see the blood and sweat that is put in every workout in order to have their sights set on a podium spot. 4am wake ups, 6 hours of practices, lifting and meetings with sports psychologists and nutritionists is something that only another athlete can fathom.
At any point in the day you can cheer on your country’s athletes and follow them as they reach for that Holy Grail: an Olympic gold medal. Last night I watched our men and women tackle the track and field events on my smartphone while at the same time watching our Canadian men dominate Italy in Volleyball to reach the quarter-finals. There are multiple apps that are available to download for free so that we can watch every second of the Games. Sports fans and loyal Canadians are feeding into their addiction of cheering for our Red and White all while wishing it would never end.
Fast forward to September. You’re searching your app store and vigorously Googling to find the best website to watch your Canadian athletes take down their rivals at the Paralympic Games. You’re still feeling that buzz from Canada becoming such a dominating force in Rio that you want more, you need more. Suddenly, your television is only showing events hours after the match has ended or you have to wait until the next day to find out how your wheelchair basketball team fared against the US in a must-win game. You won’t find numerous hours of interviews, back stories of your favorite athletes or instant replays of that last second shot that gave our country the go ahead to the next round. These are the realities of the Paralympic Games.
Each time the Games end, the athletes and viewers are promised more coverage the next time around. That’s all fine and dandy and it’s celebrated that next year will be the “best yet!” but there’s a certain stigma around the Paralympic Games and what comes before it that needs to be extinguished. On average, there are only forty-five hours of live coverage of the Paralympic Games and in turn shows that these para-athletes don’t get the recognition that they deserve. Imagine not being able to tune into to see your beloved family member begin their journey for gold but to find out that a major broadcaster isn’t even covering the opening ceremonies. Not to point fingers but that was the case in 2012.
Every day I see Olympic athletes in the weight room and alongside them are US – their para-clones. Lifting just as much as they are, putting in the same amount of practice hours, competing just as much before the Games in order to be prepared. My question is: where is the love? Where are the non-stop updates of our men’s rugby team showing the world that we are number one? Why can’t I watch three different events on three different devices because that’s how much I love my country? Why do para-athletes have to put so much work and fight into being recognized as a world class athlete? Our athletes are busting the butts to make us proud and our para-athletes are being told to sit at the kid’s table at the thanksgiving dinner of sports. It’s unfair and I would deem it discriminatory. it needs to change and it won’t unless these para-athletes have a voice for them and it is all of our jobs to help make equality happen for those who make us so proud to be Canadian.
As I help my fellow athletes prepare for the fight of their life, I hope that there are the people in power pushing to give para sports the exposure that they so right deserve. There is no excuse for not giving athletes of this caliber the opportunity to showcase their talents and give the world a chance to be aware of just the amount of strength Paralympic athlete’s display.
