Rob Snoek blog: Paralympics help to tear down the walls

Last Updated: Sunday, September 7, 2008 | 10:23 AM ET

By Rob Snoek, CBC Sports

I saw something different on my sixth day in Beijing: Chinese people who have a disability.

I'm not talking about the athletes. The team from the People's Republic of China is easily the biggest at over 330 athletes and I'd seen lots of them.

But I am talking about people on the streets, everyday folk. My first five days here, it seemed to be just foreign people like me whose disability was on display (mine happens to be an artificial leg).

But not last night, as people gathered on the Olympic Green. I saw Chinese citizens in wheelchairs, some with amputations and some who were blind.

The Paralympics seem to have the ability to instill confidence. The Games help to tear down the Great Wall of fear that exists by many in regards to a disability.

Over the next dozen days, more walls will come down while records are broken.

I can't wait to see the Canadian wheelchair basketball teams in action. The women, led by the incomparable Chantal Benoit, and the men's team, which is going for its third straight gold medal led by, maybe the best player in the world, Patrick Anderson.

I'm also eager to see what Chantal Petitclerc will do for an encore after her Olympic and Paralympic dominance in Athens.

And how about Canada's wheelchair rugby team? Talk about tearing down walls, these players will go through them for each other.

In the pool, Stephanie Dixon, Benoit Huot, Valerie Grand'Maison and Anne Polinario headline a squad that won 40 medals in Athens, finishing fourth overall (ahead of Australia and Russia, by the way).

Goalball is another sport where Canadians lead. The women's team, captained by Amy Alsop hopes to roll to a third straight Paralympic gold medal.

One of the things that I've said to my CBC colleagues and I hope that we can pass on to Canadians is that when you watch a Patrick Anderson, a Chantal Petitclerc or an Earle Connor (running with a high tech prosthesis) you quickly forget about disability as you are captivated by talent. The wheelchair or prosthesis is a vital piece of equipment like Sidney Crosby's stick, but no one watches Sid the Kid and gets distracted by his stick.

Not many Paralympians are worrying much about tearing down societal barriers right now; they are concerned about breaking personal bests and winning games and races.

Let the Games begin and let the walls fall where they may.