Thought for the week

From the British Team we remember those who won several medals, such as swimmer Ellie Simpson, wheel chair athlete David Weir and cyclist Sarah Storey. London 2012 was a landmark for Paralympic sport which is still developing. Many new world records were set and major television channels will show more interest in covering the Rio games in 2016!

Whilst the focus was, understandably, on winners, the performance of amputee Omar Hassan, who came last in a heat of the 1500 metres T46 category, exemplifies the spirit of the all Paralympics’ athletes. Omar was the first, and only, athlete from the tiny country of Djibouti on the Red Sea to compete in the Paralympics. Omar had trained hard for the greatest race of his life. From the moment the starter’s gun fired he strained his Achilles tendon. Many athletes with such an injury would have stopped running immediately, but Omar continued to run. Despite the great pain he was in he finished the race, finishing nearly 7 minutes behind the other athletes. The crowd gave him a continuous standing ovation and, when he finished, one of the greatest cheers of the whole Paralympics. After the race Omar pointed to his right foot and said it was “very sore.” He went on to say, “I thought of stopping, but I kept going because I wanted to finish.”

Many commentators have said that this Paralympic Games has changed the way we view disabled people. This indicates that the biggest problem is with us, not with them. It is our values that need to change. We make a fuss of the rich and famous and see them as the role models whom we should all seek to follow. Sadly, however, they are sometimes deeply flawed people. The disabled people who have competed at London 2012 have shown us that through the experience of disability they have become more complete people.

The apostle Paul suffered greatly as he faithfully served his Lord, Jesus Christ; he was beaten, imprisoned and shipwrecked. Near the end of his life he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”