Oscar Pistorius made history at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Photo Credit: fastcodesign.com
Oscar Pistorius made history at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Photo Credit: fastcodesign.com
Governor Boyd McCleary has asked the BVI Olympics Committee (BVIOC) to consider what will be the legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, but the Governor may have provided part of the answer when he suggested that the Virgin Islands seek to establish a Paralympics Committee.
Oscar Pistorius made history at the London 2012 Olympic Games and inspired many around the world by becoming the first double amputee to compete on the track and make an Olympic final, but locally Governor McCleary said there is no Paralympics Committee.
While many Olympians departed London for their home country following the Games, Pistorius remained and will defend his 100m, 200m and 400-metres Paralympic titles when those games kick off in London on August 29.
"London has another big event coming up very soon which is the Paralympics Games almost as big as the Olympics themselves. I am sure there will be equally successful as the Olympics themselves," Governor McCleary stated.
He added, "One small thought I would like to plant here is that BVI doesn´t have a Paralympics Committee. I wonder whether if it's not time to think about a Paralympic Committee for the BVI. We all watched Pistorius, the South African blade runner and we were all amazed by what he achieved and amazed by the response from the crowd to what he achieved".
He said that persons would be equally surprised by the way in which the people of the UK will embrace the Paralympics athletes as they did the Olympics athletes.
"I would like to think that the BVI perhaps can give a chance to some of the less abled body members of this community and perhaps think about setting up a National Paralympics Committee here as well as the Olympics Committee," the Governor suggested.
He explained that there is a difference between the Paralympics and the Special Olympics, which the BVI has participated in. Special Olympics BVI provides sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
However, the Governor said that the Paralympics athletes are persons with physical disabilities.
I think the bigger picture is that BVI needs to get behind its people period and make a more positive name for the country in the global playing field.
Paralympics, olympics .. every athletes with all their body parts or not ... we need to get behind our people with... more