Paralympics

Yes CJ its story time with Gerry once more; actually, more of an open letter.

Dear Dr. Rogge,

I would like to open my letter to you congratulating you on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. As I read up on you I have discovered that our Olympic paths have crossed for a second time. I hope you enjoyed the yachting venue in 1976.

Over the years, I have been exposed to many positive things and many negative things about the Olympics. The original design of the Montréal Olympic Stadium, designed by a Parisian architect, was not good.

I am not insinuating that the French are dumb, after all I am part French, but his ignorance of Canada and its climate were to blame. You see, he had originally designed the Big O with only 2 expansion joints.

Expansion joints are the points on any structure there is metal interleaving. When the surrounding air is hot, the structure will expand into the metal interleaving, closing the gap, which is the expansion joint. Conversely, when it is cold, the joint separates, opening up a wider gap.

As described at the time in the newspapers, with only 2 expansion joints in the Big O structure, the gaps would have been almost 3 meters across; enough space to drop a car through. I believe in response to this original design flaw, the stadium sought retribution by dropping pieces of itself on an auto show in 1999. As a result, the 2 went their separate ways.

I believe myself to be a glass-half-full type, so I will move on to the positives. I remember doing “Breakfast with Nagano” every morning with my daughters in 1998, while they ate breakfast and prepared for school. I have discovered in recent months that this is a stronger memory for me than it is for them, but it’s all good!

In researching for this letter, I have discovered that the Special Olympics are completely separate and different from the Paralympics. And even though I would like to address the Paralympics, I think it polite and diplomatic to acknowledge and recognize the fantastic work of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and all those who followed her in promoting these special events for very special people.

I believe one of the primary reasons for the Paralympics is to allow the participating athletes to be able to represent their countries on the world stage, and this is admirable. Unfortunately when the Paralympics are held a few weeks after the Olympics, they are always treated like the lesser sibling.

The Olympic Torch Relay was carried by 12,000 runners over 106 days. The Paralympic Torch Relay will be carried by 600 runners over 10 days. The broadcast rights for both games were bundled together and rightfully so; without the bundling, I don’t believe there would have been many bidders for the Paralympics.

As the lesser sibling, the Paralympics are usually 2 weeks after the closing of the favored sibling. At this point in time, the hoopla is over, most of the crowds and the media have returned home, and only those specifically interested in the Paralympics are tuned in.

I think this does a disservice to the Paralympians. Do you think that they feel part of the rest of us when we segregate their Olympics from ours? Does this tell them that they are as normal as able bodied athletes? Are these not feelings we should be trying to give to the Paralympians?

In order to tell our Paralympians that they are in fact Olympians, and equal to their able-bodied compatriots, I propose that you hold 1 Olympic Games, for all athletes. I do not think we are paying these brave athletes the respect they are due. Having Paralympic events mixed in with the schedule of able-bodied events tells these people that they are in fact equal.

On the economic front, combining the events together would be advantageous to all save the consumers. Using Vancouver as a model, the Paralympics will take place over a 10 day period, and by my estimate will earn about 1.2 truckloads of money a day. The Olympic Games lasted for 17 days and took in about 33.7 truckloads of money a day.

If combined, the games would have lasted about 25 days, taking in about 32 truckloads of money a day. This is 215.1 more truckloads of money; that’s a lot of money.

In closing Count Rogge, as the head of our Olympic movement, with all your strength, please act swiftly to raise the Paralympians to the status of their able brethren by allowing them to compete in the same games, at the same time, in the same venues.

If you had been a Paralympian, you would have wanted it done for you.

Schol!