Disability and Determination is a weekly newsletter about my experience living with a rare disability…with a little bit of meditation, pop culture, and other random things thrown in.
The Olympics allow us to dream, even in contexts we'll never be able to experience. 99.9% of the world is unathletic or haven't played sports, and yet, when we watch these events, we dream of being on the podium. Same goes with being a singer or an actor or something else.
That's exactly what I was trying to convey in the beginning, but you put it way better than I did. Seeing the whole world together in one space for the same common goal too...incredible. I love the sprints too. The suspense, the joy when they cross the finish line. So good.
I am wondering why you didn't mention the Paralympics at all. They will happen right after the regular Olympics are over—the regular Olympics moves out and the Paralympics starts a day or two later. The coverage of the Paralympics has gotten better and better over the last ten years or so.
Thank you for bringing this up. I’ve been under a lot of mental stress lately and admittedly had completely forgotten about the Paralympics when I wrote this. I'm definitely still learning as I go here and have my own ableist things to shed though. I'm going to make many more mistakes along the way I'm sure, but definitely didn't intentionally leave them out in any way. Appreciate the reminder for this and so I can be sure to watch them.
I don't think you sounded schoolmarmish at all. I was super embarrassed I didn't include them but I genuinely appreciated the reminder. Was happy to see several of the Paralympians carry the torch and a disabled model included in the fashion show portion of the opening ceremony. Can't wait to watch the Paralympic events and opening ceremony when those air!
Still getting caught up on reading (this was number 288 in the line-up) and I'm starting from the back. I watched some of it. Like you, I love gymnastics (still agog at the scandal that's still playing out with Jordan Chiles) and swimming, but I also love diving. I loved hearing about all these youngsters in their teens making it on the team. Can you imagine the sacrifice they had to make to get there? I'm awed and amazed and humbled. I would've loved to have seen synchronized swimming and breakdancing?! Pretty sure that won't be back in 4 years.
Breakdancing was surprisingly popular I think! And since the next summer games are in LA, I think it'll probably be back. Synchronized swimming is called something else now too...artistic swimming or something like that? The US women's silver medal-winning routine was really cool if you can find a video of it online.
I absolutely love the Olympics and tuned in for the entire evening opening ceremony broadcast last night. I loved a few parts, and l never tire of seeing the athletes’ smiles as they take stock of the place and moment. There is nothing so pure as their joy televised in real time.
I’ve only started to relate to athletes in the last couple of years (if there’s anything I wasn’t in school, it was an athlete). I now relate alot to Roger Bannister who broke the 4 minute mile record in the 50’s. He took something he told was scientifically impossible, began to share his story from a place of failure then broke the barrier in less than perfect conditions. I’ve felt like this a lot with my own health journey. Being told it isn’t possible for me to be well, believed in myself anyway, found other ways then have improved beyond what is believed medically possible - without a team of physicians, someone paying all my bills and other assumptions that have been made. My favourite being “you can’t have been that ill to begin with” (more dismissal).
I also recently read a book on the science behind floatation tank therapy. There’s a section that speaks to athletes and their approach to training for such events as the Olympics and, in particular, their recovery practices. they operate not from a place of “is this proven?” but from a place of “will this work?”. It just about sums up my approach only for me to go on and realise that there is no interest in recovery from a medical perspective which leaves me wondering:
how can we be told what’s possible and what isn’t about rare/complex illness when it hasn’t been explored?
The Olympics allow us to dream, even in contexts we'll never be able to experience. 99.9% of the world is unathletic or haven't played sports, and yet, when we watch these events, we dream of being on the podium. Same goes with being a singer or an actor or something else.
I love the sprints - 100m, 200m, etc.
That's exactly what I was trying to convey in the beginning, but you put it way better than I did. Seeing the whole world together in one space for the same common goal too...incredible. I love the sprints too. The suspense, the joy when they cross the finish line. So good.
I am wondering why you didn't mention the Paralympics at all. They will happen right after the regular Olympics are over—the regular Olympics moves out and the Paralympics starts a day or two later. The coverage of the Paralympics has gotten better and better over the last ten years or so.
Thank you for bringing this up. I’ve been under a lot of mental stress lately and admittedly had completely forgotten about the Paralympics when I wrote this. I'm definitely still learning as I go here and have my own ableist things to shed though. I'm going to make many more mistakes along the way I'm sure, but definitely didn't intentionally leave them out in any way. Appreciate the reminder for this and so I can be sure to watch them.
Hey —I didn't mean to sound so schoolmarmish; I was genuinely surprised that you didn't mention the Paralympics.
They will be on in August, and I I think that you will be surprised at wide range of ability and disability.
Take care!
I don't think you sounded schoolmarmish at all. I was super embarrassed I didn't include them but I genuinely appreciated the reminder. Was happy to see several of the Paralympians carry the torch and a disabled model included in the fashion show portion of the opening ceremony. Can't wait to watch the Paralympic events and opening ceremony when those air!
Still getting caught up on reading (this was number 288 in the line-up) and I'm starting from the back. I watched some of it. Like you, I love gymnastics (still agog at the scandal that's still playing out with Jordan Chiles) and swimming, but I also love diving. I loved hearing about all these youngsters in their teens making it on the team. Can you imagine the sacrifice they had to make to get there? I'm awed and amazed and humbled. I would've loved to have seen synchronized swimming and breakdancing?! Pretty sure that won't be back in 4 years.
Breakdancing was surprisingly popular I think! And since the next summer games are in LA, I think it'll probably be back. Synchronized swimming is called something else now too...artistic swimming or something like that? The US women's silver medal-winning routine was really cool if you can find a video of it online.
I absolutely love the Olympics and tuned in for the entire evening opening ceremony broadcast last night. I loved a few parts, and l never tire of seeing the athletes’ smiles as they take stock of the place and moment. There is nothing so pure as their joy televised in real time.
So well said Wendy!
I’ve only started to relate to athletes in the last couple of years (if there’s anything I wasn’t in school, it was an athlete). I now relate alot to Roger Bannister who broke the 4 minute mile record in the 50’s. He took something he told was scientifically impossible, began to share his story from a place of failure then broke the barrier in less than perfect conditions. I’ve felt like this a lot with my own health journey. Being told it isn’t possible for me to be well, believed in myself anyway, found other ways then have improved beyond what is believed medically possible - without a team of physicians, someone paying all my bills and other assumptions that have been made. My favourite being “you can’t have been that ill to begin with” (more dismissal).
I also recently read a book on the science behind floatation tank therapy. There’s a section that speaks to athletes and their approach to training for such events as the Olympics and, in particular, their recovery practices. they operate not from a place of “is this proven?” but from a place of “will this work?”. It just about sums up my approach only for me to go on and realise that there is no interest in recovery from a medical perspective which leaves me wondering:
how can we be told what’s possible and what isn’t about rare/complex illness when it hasn’t been explored?