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Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin knows what will be running through her mind when she watches five Australian sports begin their Tokyo Paralympic Games competition on Wednesday.
“There is enormous pride and relief,” she said on the day of the Opening Ceremony.
“The athletes have got here against the odds – we didn’t think these Games would happen – they have. The athletes have never given up… the things they’d had to do to get here.
“So we’re going to look back on these Games and say ‘Wow, look what we did’.
“And that’s not just the athletes, it’s the coaches and officials – everyone who makes up the Paralympic family.”
Tokyo will forever etch itself a place in Paralympic history, McLoughlin added.
“The movement has come such a long way and there’s been a shift in the acknowledgement of Paralympic athletes.
“It started in Sydney (2000), up a notch or two further in London (2012) and in Tokyo, given what we’ve gone through to get to these Games, the support we’ve got from home that these athletes are elite in the true sense of the word and ‘up there’ with the Olympic counterparts,” she said.
“They do everything the Olympians do to compete. The excitement I hear that’s going on back home shows you how far Paralympic sport has come. So these Games will be the cherry on top.
“The time zone works brilliantly and it is an amazing silver lining for everyone at home in lockdown to see our athletes compete.
“Channel Seven is producing 14 hours a day of Paralympic coverage – it’s unprecedented and something that will bring Paralympic sport into every lounge room in Australia.
“There will be kids out there, whether they have disabilities or not, who will get to know our amazing athletes and they’ll aspire to be like them. And that’s a beautiful thing for the movement.”
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Five-time Paralympian, wheelchair basketballer Tristan Knowles, gave the athletes’ perspective of what it’s like to touch down on Japanese soil.
“If I wasn’t wearing this mask you’d see I have a smile from ear to ear that we’re actually here in Tokyo,” Knowles said.
“The guys and rest of the Aussie team are absolutely pumped we’re in the Village and one day away from competition. We can’t wait to rip in.”
Knowles also wanted to acknowledge the Japanese public.
“Athletes talk about what will be the new benchmark for an Olympics or Paralympics – and for as long as we’ve known that Japan would host the Games, we knew the Japanese would set the new benchmark,” he said.
McLoughlin added: “The Australian team wants to recognise what efforts the Japanese have gone to when they are all going through a horrific time with Covid numbers and challenges.
“They have allowed us to come to their country and have provided such excellent hospitality. The volunteers in the Village are the most caring and helpful people.
“Hopefully the Japanese team does incredibly well too.”
Watch the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games live and free on Seven and 7plus from August 24 – September 5.
By: Margie McDonald, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 24 August 2021
