Paralympic Spirit lives Letters to the Future

Tonight the Paralympic Games have closed in China.

In a very emotional closing ceremony, the Paralympic Athletes gathered once again in the National "Birds Nest" Stadium to pay tribute to thier achievements, triumphant and corageous.

These Paralympic Games have truly been a watershed for the movement and something all of China can be most proud. All fans of sport for athletes with a disability should be proud of their achievements too, for it is they who have travelled to the venues and stages of Beijing, and to China from near and far via the internet and television like never before.

From a personal perspective, the most emotional and uplifting moment this evening has been the segment entitled "A Letter to the Future". Each of the 90,000 crowd, spectators and broadcasters alike received a special postcard and envelope on which they can write a message to the world about what they were thinking and feeling on this special night. These cards and envelopes were only available in Beijing and can only be posted in China.

Over the next week or two these postcards will be delivered around the world with the messages inside them. A message for the future of sport for elite athletes with a disability.

Transcendence, Integration, Equality ... the mission accomplished, the spirit of Beijing will live on, just as it has done so in Sydney. My personal dream would be for the volunteers of Beijing to form a group similar to ours and not just remember this dream but continue to live it as we have done these past eight years.

More success for Jayme Paris in Beijing

Jayme Paris just missed out on a second Bronze medal at the Beijing Paralympics on Wednesday being pipped by New Zealand's Paula Tesoreiro by just four hundredths of a second.

In posting her time, in the 3000m Individual Pursuit, Jayme beat her personal best by 15 seconds.

Well done Jayme we're so proud of your achivements.

Volunteers in Beijing

Our wonderful foundation members Laurie and Barbara Smith have been volunteering in Beijing. They were kind enough to drop us a line ...

"
We have a volunteer job with the AOC in the village working with Michael Mercer in admin in the area Jayme will live in. The village is fantastic and there is even a pool for the team to relax in as well as all the usual things.

So far the temperature is better than Athens so that is great.

The people have gone out of there way to make you feel welcome but most volunteers have no idea of what information to tell you and most can't speak English unless they are working in the village.

The taxi drivers are the same. You must have your address written in Chinese and the location of where you want to go as well and then there is a one in three chance you will get to the right location."