The curtain came down on Rio’s Paralympic Games in the early hours of this morning.
There was high emotion as a minutes silence remembered Bahman Golbarnazhad the Iranian cyclist killed in Saturday’s road race. And as the athletes, their families and those who had come to share their journey reflected on what they had achieved.
The Paralympic Games themselves overcame adversity and shone in Rio. 1.9 million tickets meant the spectre of empty stadia did not materialise and the games go on now to Tokyo in 2020 where they will weave their magic once more and change the way we view our world.
Over the past ten days Irish and international athletes have performed feats of superhuman endeavour to prove their ability can overcome their disability.
That is the critical importance of these games. It is to give heart and support to those afflicted by the loss of limbs, the onset of conditions such as cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.
To those facing such obstacles, the incline of the mountain can, in dark moments, look too steep for them to manage in any way.
Paralympic sport though is like an arm outstretched, to say that it is OK not to be ‘perfect’ in the sense of everything being in the right place as regards our bodies.
The level of achievement can only be reached by a small few but in their doing so they show that anything is possible, that nothing is impossible and that hiding away in a corner is never the best option.
The joy of Nicole Turner and Ellen Keane in the pool, of Ellie Robinson and Alex Zinardi from other nations who we support without flags because of the strength of their character and their dedication to being the best they can is inspiring in a way unmatched in the normal course of a regular life.
Thank you to the Paralympians. May your journey home be one of satisfaction and the next stage of your lives better as a result of what you have done over the past four years.
