And so begins the Paralympics 2020! Will you be watching?

Cher_Alumni

We're a tad excited here on the online community as the Paralympics 2020 have officially begun today.

Read on for more news about exciting activities to get involved in, Paralympian's and events to look out for and tell us: what are you most excited about watching?

What can I look forward to on the online community?

Over the next 12 days, we’ll have lots of diverse content to keep you all gripped on the goings-on in Tokyo.  Some tantalising titbits to look forward to, include:

• An interview with a British Paralympian
• A fun quiz for all budding sports pundits
• The low-down on Paralympic podcasts 
• Polls, our infamous Make it Count community contest and more…

Who should I look out for?

This year, Paralympics GB will have its highest ever representation of female athletes competing in a summer games:

With 100 female athletes selected, Paralympics GB will have the greatest gender parity ever at a Summer Paralympics (44%) – this compares with 40% female representation at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

And, Stylist magazine tells us just some of the female athletes to keep an eye on are:

• Hollie Arnold (was on last year’s I’m a Celeb) who is the current Paralympic champion in javelin
• Samantha Kinghorn, the current record holder for numerous short-distance wheelchair races
• Leeds born Kadeena Cox who is competing in both athletics and cycling

While @Richard_Scope comes with hot off the press news today, that one of Scope’s very own CP café participants will be competing in the Women's freestyle 200m and 100m swimming events very soon!

Just to let you know that our very own Adult café participant, Tully Kearney, will be competing at the Paralympics. Her races will be shown tonight and tomorrow night. I’m keeping an eye on her Twitter to see if she posts a time to watch but it will be in the very early hours on our TV screens.
If you want to see the results, please use this official Olympics link.
Good Luck Tully!!

What events might I enjoy?

With such a variety of different sports taking place, it can be difficult to know where to begin.  Check out these 1 minute, 1 sport videos covering everything from Para archery to wheelchair tennis to see if you fancy enjoying something new.

Over on the online community team, we are most looking forward to:

@Ross_Scope

I'm looking forward to goalball because it will give the world an opportunity to watch a sport created with blind and partially sighted people in mind and will hopefully inspire more people with sight loss to take up the sport, therefore urging more local authorities to make it widely available.
It was created after WWII to help with the rehabilitation of soldiers who lost some or all of their sight in battle, and now it represents an example of how sport can be adapted to allow as many people as possible to get involved

@Adrian_Scope 

I'm looking forward to the wheelchair rugby. It's fun, combative, and really competitive, which makes it great to watch.

And personally, I’m looking forward to watching the swimming events and Ellie Simmonds in the 200m medley and 100m breaststroke.  I’ve got a real soft spot for Ellie after London 2012 and as a non-swimmer she makes me want to don my armbands and finally learn!

Over to you:

• Are you excited about the Paralympics taking place?
• Which athlete and sport are you most looking forward to watching?
• Do you have any fond memories of Paralympics from previous years?  Which was your favourite?

Leave your comments in the thread below

Ross_Alumni

Come on Paralympics GB!