# Paralympics



## Northerner (Aug 22, 2012)

Looking forward to this!  Worth exploring the C4 website for details of the athletes and events:

http://paralympics.channel4.com/index.html


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## am64 (Aug 23, 2012)

Northerner said:


> Looking forward to this!  Worth exploring the C4 website for details of the athletes and events:
> 
> http://paralympics.channel4.com/index.html



me too ..and my shop has all its flags up ready


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## Copepod (Aug 23, 2012)

Jon Snow's Paralympic Show on Channel 4 at 1930 each night this week. Very good explanation of paralympic sport, past and present. 

Last night, Eva Loeffler, daughter of Dr. Ludwig Guttmann who founded first sports competitions for people with spinal injuries at Stoke Mandeville - she was a volunteer in 1948 and will be mayor of Paralympic village; Eddie Marsan, actor who played Dr Guttmann in "Best of Men" TV programme, screened last week; Ade Adepitan, international wheelchair basketball player turned TV presenter.

Looking forward to my shifts!


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## Northerner (Aug 23, 2012)

Disturbing article here about how some athletes are self-harming in order to improve performance 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19325756


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## Caroline (Aug 24, 2012)

Under the DDA we are disabled, so for many of us, apart from a duff pancreas we are mostly able bodied. If we wanted to (I don't so this is hypothetical, or hyperthetical if you're that way inclined) could we enter both Olympics?


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## Northerner (Aug 24, 2012)

Caroline said:


> Under the DDA we are disabled, so for many of us, apart from a duff pancreas we are mostly able bodied. If we wanted to (I don't so this is hypothetical, or hyperthetical if you're that way inclined) could we enter both Olympics?



I don't think so - I read this yesterday:



> "Paralympic qualification for athletes with physical impairment is on the basis of a neuro-muscular-skeletal impairment rather than a physiological one,"



That wouldn't include an inability to regulate blood sugar properly (if I understand it right!) as it is to do with people with missing limbs, or ones that don't function properly.


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## Copepod (Aug 24, 2012)

DDA 1995 has been replaced by Disability and Equality Act 2010 - both apply only to UK.

Paralympics are organised internationally by International Paralympic Committee which oversees national paralympic sports organisations for individual countries and individual or combinations of sports. 

I wouldn't be surprised if there are some Paralympic athletes who lost their sight (not necessarily all, as there are gradings of sight loss) through diabetes, although of course, most Paralympic athletes, like most Olympic athletes are generally young, in 20s or 30s, with some older, and very fit, and sight loss tends to come after years of poorly managed diabetes, or after years of non-diagnosis / non-treatment (nearly always type 2), so the situation is often reached when a person is past 40 years. Obviously, all this is based on averages, and different countries have very different rates of diagnosis, incidence of various types of diabetes. 

Anyway, you only have to look at http://www.runsweet.com/DiabetesAndSport.html and click on individual sport tabs to read case studies of people with diabetes competing at very high levels - including, of course, Steve Redgrave and Rowing. Gary Blakie and Triathlon and Deidre Marathon and Canoeing (Expedition) are among the many other examples of exceptional athletes.


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## Northerner (Aug 24, 2012)

Good points Copepod - and of course there are many elite athletes with Type 1, look at Team Type 1: cyclists, runners and triathletes at the pinnacle of their sports. 

edit: In fact an Ironman too - doesn't get much tougher than that in my opinion, just read this in yesterday's Diabetes Mine:

http://www.diabetesmine.com/2012/08/david-weingard-an-ironman-of-diabetes-innovation-ideas.html


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## Donald (Sep 1, 2012)

Yes Ellie Simmonds wins gold and new world record magic


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## Northerner (Sep 1, 2012)

Donald said:


> Yes Ellie Simmonds wins gold and new world record magic



Brilliant! She looked so happy getting her medal!


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## Donald (Sep 1, 2012)

Northerner said:


> Brilliant! She looked so happy getting her medal!



yes just after the swim she was in tears not sure if it was tears of joy or tears of relief she seemed exhausted


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## Northerner (Sep 1, 2012)

Donald said:


> yes just after the swim she was in tears not sure if it was tears of joy or tears of relief she seemed exhausted



Such huge pressure on her to do well. what a lovely young woman she is


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## Steff (Sep 6, 2012)

Amazing to see our guy win pesario was nowhere to be seen


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## StephenM (Sep 7, 2012)

I have to admit to a degree of *lympic fatigue now. However some of the Paralympics I have seen are impressive it that people have overcome adversity and gone on to an elite level in sport. One that really impressed me was Alex Zanardi the former F1 driver. He lost his legs in a dreadful accident over ten years ago. However not much later he was walking again and racing in a specially adapted car. But to win a cycling gold medal (H4 handcycling) at the age of 45 is an incredible achievement. Truly amazing!


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## Caroline (Sep 7, 2012)

It is amazing what the athletes have achieved, they have worked hard for it, but I shall be glad when things go back to normal now as it is an extra change of trains for me when I can normally get a train straight home.

I think all the volunteers need a lot of credit too, especially because they worked so hard for no pay.


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