Guess what? The Paralympics are finished! Cue the next question from many Canadians: when did they start?
It’s a sad fact that many Canadians were unaware or uninterested in the ‘second Olympics’ that have duly followed the main one for the last 48 years.
That’s not to say there isn’t a dedicated audience, or a hardworking, if under-funded, Canadian Paralympics Committee that does an excellent job in preparing our athletes for the Games. But there is a culture of disparity when it comes to the two events, and though it may be an inevitability in terms of national interest, perhaps it doesn’t need to be in terms of national investment.
Our Canadian Olympic Committee, which oversees our able-bodied Olympians, is largely funded by corporate sponsorships, though it does receive federal support.
The Paralympics Committee re lies far more on federal support, but unfortunately that leaves it far short of matching the federal endowment for the COC this year of $8 million, which goes to $16 million next year and $24 million in 2010. The budget for these Games is about $3 million, an increase over previous years, but far short of what it could, or should be.
Take the Athlete Excellence Fund. This program awards our top Olympians with cash rewards for podium finishes, amounting up to $20,000 for a gold medal finish. But no such program exists for our Paralympians. Why? Because no money is available for such a program. In fact, just 10 years ago Paralympic athletes were responsible for paying for their own flights.
Giving cash rewards for podium finishes is almost outlandish on the current Paralympics budget, even though they work just as hard to win for their country. And that’s a shame, because Canada finished a very respectable seventh in competition with 50 medals, including an impressive 19 gold ones.
There are some other existing programs, and the Paralympics Committee prides itself on its efforts to prepare their athletes for upcoming Games. The Paralympic Equipment Fund matches grants from community-based clubs or provincial sports organizations in good standing to try and help these athletes afford equipment that is often expensive.
A specially designed racing wheelchair can cost $10,000. For amateur athletes, whether able-bodied or not, that’s a huge financial undertaking. It’s nice that there is some consideration there. And any athlete will tell you that winning is not about money.
But there is no denying that more would really help. There are very few people out there who could watch Chantal Petitclerc’s emotional reaction after winning her fifth gold medal and say she deserves any less of a reward than our able-bodied athletes.
There is no price for that feeling of elation, but if she was an able-bodied Olympian, she would have $100,000 to retire with.
If you missed it, watch the recaps, enjoy the spectacle. Those athletes were tremendous. They didn’t do it for money, and they did it without equal funding. But Chantal Petitclerc and the others worked just as hard, sacrificed just as much, and they deserve all the same support and accolades that we give our able-bodied athletes.