I have been delighting in the Paralympic Games, perhaps even more that I was in the Olympic Games. The competition realises the foundational vision of the Olympics as an amateur event that brings different cultures together to celebrate unity.
The absence of endorsement deals and corresponding egotism, the reassuring humanity evident in the happy tears of supporters in locked-down living rooms across the country, and the inspiring stories of determination from the athletes (and their parents) who have shown remarkable dedication just to get to the starting line. I am hooked!
In the evenings our family gathers around the television to watch the events. Initially I felt somewhat torn about the additional screen time on top of a day’s learning online, but there is some rather nuanced, albeit unintended, education occurring. My youngest son has retrieved the Ken doll that disappeared into the dog kennel as a perfect plastic replica and re-emerged sans arm. Ken now possesses a rather smart homemade prosthesis, plays soccer and attends all family excursions – much to the disappointment of Barbie who’s left to ponder her vacuous existence from her dusty sports car in the cupboard. My 7-year-old announced to me quite earnestly yesterday that: “People with interesting stories make the best friends”. That was a proud Mummy moment.
My eldest child is undergoing a literary education of sorts. When Lakeisha Patterson emerged from the pool and gasped “I’m more fried than a chook from KFC”, my ensuing giggles opened a discussion about how language is a marker of culture. He was born in Britain so we’ve been on Zoom with Papa learning rhyming slang from the expert. Here’s something to do on Father’s Day this weekend; test your children's knowledge of Aussie rhyming slang (just one step up from a list of Dad jokes and a fundamental part of an Australian education):
- Barry: shocker, a poor performance, from the Australian comedian and actor Barry Crocker.
- Boat race: face
- Captain: look, from Captain James Cook, as in “Having a good captain, are ya?”
- Dead horse: tomato sauce
- Froth and bubble: trouble
- Loaf of bread: head, as in “Use your loaf of bread!”
- Noah’s Ark: shark
- Meat Pie: try, a score in Rugby
- Oxford scholar: dollar
- Twist and twirl: girl (girlfriend)
More important than expanding their Australian lexicon, the remarkable stories of our Paralympians have lifted us up by celebrating the strength of the human spirit. The Paralympic Games are proof that the value of sport reaches far beyond the podium.
If you’ll forgive the British reference, Richard Whitehead from the Rio Paralympic Team ran 40 marathons in 40 days at the age of 40, making him the first double leg amputee to run the length of the United Kingdom. Having recently turned 40 myself, I am in awe and have stuck a quotation from him above the fridge as motivation:
Having an opportunity in life is important, but what defines you is what you do with that opportunity.
The Paralympic Games end on Sunday but you’ve still got a chance to support your team. "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!"