Vancouver Paralympics - Opening Ceremonies on Friday!

It was wonderful to see how excitement for the Olympics swelled and grew as the games went on, starting to build as people came out to see the torch arrive in their neighborhood then reaching a crescendo by the time the Gold Medal Hockey Game happened! Throngs of people in the streets, cheers, laughter, shouting and even spontaneous outbursts of "O Canada" - amazing! I have to admit I've never watched more than a few sports in the Olympic games in the past but this time we had at least three t.v.s on in our guest house at all times. We watched and cheered for our Canadian team in almost every sport (who knew I would watch a curling match!), but also shared the enthusiasm and disappointment of our guests as their national teams won and lost. We hope to experience that same effect with the Paralympics that are to open this Friday in Vancouver. So far, we certainly don't feel the excitement in our city that was evident last month, but we hope that the 24 hour relay starting on March 11, 2010 near Robson Square and ending on March 12th around noon, will get all of us back into the spirit! I think we were all a little sad when the Olympic games ended, so the Paralympics are our opportunity to extend the Olympic fever for a little while longer. Here's a link to more information on the relay: http://www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games/more-2010-information/paralympic-torch-relay/daily-highlights/march-12/ These are amazing athletes who can teach us so much about overcoming difficulties in life and reaching for our dreams! Jean Labonte, who was selected as flag bearer for Canada in the opening ceremonies, already has a gold and a silver medal to his credit, after losing his leg to cancer at a very early age. Read his story - it's an inspiration! Let's get out there and cheer for Jean, our whole Canadian team and for the courage of all the athletes who will compete in these games!