The Olympic Games in London are in the news, but we're not hearing as much about the London Paralympic Games that begin Wednesday, August 29, 2012, and end Sunday, September 9, 2012. We expect that the Olympic Games – being on top of the athletic hierarchy – gets publicity, but there's much to follow when you look elsewhere than the top.
Charlotte attended the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, and she got to see fabulous athletic events without all the hype, money, and crowds of the previous week's Olympics. When she saw people with one leg do the high jump, the two-leggeds that competed the week before paled in comparison.
Oscar Pistorius, commonly called "Blade Runner," is expected to take center stage in the Olympics. But just a week later, you can see plenty of other athletes whose diversity of body and skill make watching the games fascinating in an entirely different way.
Last month, Spencer West scaled Mount Kilimanjoro using only his hands, as he doesn't have legs. Look at the pictures - your eye will be drawn to his personal feats, with the climbers with legs looking all the same.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57474855/double-amputee-oscar-pistorius-set-for-long-awaited-olympic-debut/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162085/Disabled-man-legs-climbs-Mount-Kilimanjaro-Spencer-West-scales-mountain-using-HANDS.html
