Sunday 2 September 2012 Yesterday, British sprinter Richard Whitehead blasted through the field in the final 50 metres to win gold in the T42 200m at the London Paralympics. Whitehead, the marathon world record holder, a double above-the-knee amputee, crossed the line in 24.38 seconds to break his own world record. "I came, I saw, I conquered," Whitehead said with justifiable pride.
"I conquered" could be the mantra of each one of the competitors in this Paralympics, which is daily drawing large numbers of enthusiastic spectators and viewers. That many of the competitors have shown immense courage, including magnificent Martine Wright, volleyball competitor, who lost both legs in the London bombings in July 2005, has justifiably drawn comment. What must also command admiration is the ingenuity and adaptability of those same individuals who refuse to be exiled from a sport because they lack the physical requirements deemed to be the norm. Matt Stutzman, 29, from Iowa, an archer, was born without arms. He uses his toes and mouth to fire his arrows – and win. His aim is to become the best archer in the world. He already holds the record for the longest accurate shot even among non-disabled archers. Then there is Lee Pearson, 38, who already has nine Paralympics gold medals. Born with arthrogryposis, twisted legs and feet, he is peerless controlling his horse, Gentleman, in dressage. Holland's Esther Vergeer has won five golds in wheelchair tennis singles and doubles, not losing a single match in nine years. Disability campaigners rightly voice a fear that the Paralympics are setting a superhuman standard for many who still face huge hurdles, ignorance and exclusion. Nevertheless, the daily example of these athletes should act as a reminder that since the human form comes in many more models than one, it's imperative that the world in which we all live properly begins to meet those very diverse requirements. And that has to mean so much more than a token gesture to access. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/02/observer-editorial-paraympic-heroes -- Avinash Shahi MPhil Research Learner Centre for the Study of Law and Governance Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
