Boycotting the Paralympics is a ridiculous conversation to be having

This post is more a greater than 140 character tweet/rant than a blog post.

The proper research is not being done to warrant it as a regular blog post but I am deeply saddened and angered by calls to boycott the Paralympics, that I feel I have to express it.

To start, there were calls to boycott the Olympics. I wrote my feelings about that issue last summer. You can read it here.

That boycott did not happen and for anyone to actually think a boycott of the Paralympics should happen is absurd.

Yes I understand that the situation is different. Last summer, the anti-gay rights issue was the reason for a call to boycott whereas now it's the Ukraine situation.

I didn't want the Olympics boycotted. I wanted the athletes to attend the Olympic Games and do what they have trained years or decades to do.

Go, compete, have sportsmanship towards your competitors and hopefully receive the same respect back, which includes everyone competing clean and with fair play (with these issues perhaps worthy of a separate post).

I did not want the athletes making political statements that could have potentially caused issues for them with the IOC and in the same vein, I did not want the athletes (in particular the Canadian athletes) welcoming the Russian President into Canada House and take selfies with him. I did not want the politics to enter the equation at all.

The Russian President was welcomed in a way that perhaps gave him more confidence and perhaps made him think that he was supported around the world. Is that a reason that the Ukraine situation is worsening in the past few weeks? I don't know.

All I know (or perhaps a better word is feel) is that the Paralympians should not be the ones to take the brunt of the IOC, the COC or the Olympians' missteps. Paralympians are perhaps the truest amateur athletes in the Olympic world.

Many Olympians are professional athletes, playing in the NHL or competing on the Dew Tour. Many have major sponsors or are part of the Own The Podium program.

Our Paralympians don't have that kind of support although I have been happy to see some of them in commercials on television.

Bottom line...if a boycott should have happened (which I don't believe it should have), then BOTH the Olympians and Paralympians should have been affected. It is ridiculous for this conversation to be happening now.

If the IOC continues to have countries like Russia or China host, who have major human rights issues, then perhaps the Paralympians should go first.

Let the purest form of competition and Olympic spirit go first to ensure that Presidents don't think once the Olympics are over, they can do whatever they want.

Paralympic Games Announcement - 100 Days to Sochi

I attended the Paralympic Games announcement in Toronto this week to celebrate 100 days to Sochi. The major announcement that you may have already heard is that the Canadian Paralympic Committee will have unprecendented broadcast coverage of Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. What this means is that there will be over 65 hours of television coverage and over 350 hours of online coverage. This is all thanks to four exclusive corporate partners:

Petro Canada

Canadian Tire

Air Canada

CIBC

You can read the full press release here.

Ten time Paralympic medallist Brian McKeever (seven times gold) was the master of ceremonies for the event and talked about "plans in place to share their stories, their accomplishments and their abilities. It's about connecting Canadians and inspiring them through a national broadcast." Future sledge hockey players from Mississauga Cruisers, Durham Steelhawks and Toronto Tornadoes demonstrated their abilities and their sport on the rink at Mattamy Centre.

Afterwards, I was on my way to the CBC building to attend George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight (Milos Raonic was a guest) and I love the coincidence of me stumbling upon "The WhyNot Paralympic Torch" at Metro Hall.

"The WhyNot Marathon, the biggest single event in Canadian history to create awareness for the Paralympic Games and those with disabilities, symbolized a dream that lives on today -- to bring about an historic change in the way Canadians think about people with disabilities."

Also at Metro Hall was The Terry Fox Hall of Fame which "recognizes outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life with physical disabilities" which includes many Paralympians like Chantal Petitclerc and "Man in Motion" Rick Hansen.

First Paralympic Gold Medal on Home Soil

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on March 15, 2010

How fitting is it that Brian McKeever wins the first Paralympic gold medal on home soil?

He almost made history at the Olympic Games in February by being the first Canadian (and possibly winter Olympian) to compete at the Olympics and Paralympics.

We had five cross-country skiers named to our team for the Olympics. Brian was not chosen to race at the Olympics remaining as alternate. I wrote my thoughts on the subject here at the time if you're interested. It was sad that Brian didn't get to race, but I thought it was the right decision. I thought we should field our best team and if the coach felt that Brian wasn't one of our top four, he shouldn't race. Even if I feel it was the right decision, I was still bummed about it.

So now, he is the one to make "history". He has won Canada's first gold medal at the Paralympic Olympics Games...the first that we have hosted.

It wasn't the fairytale ending we all hoped for...but it's a happy ending (or beginning) nonetheless.