A Paralympic Success
After 11 days of wonderful humanity, competition, and medals the 2024 Paris Paralympics has come to a close. I watched these Paralympics with great personal interest, with a few ex-training partners and known faces competing in the athletics. Overall, Australia has had a hugely successful games, coming home with 18 golds, 17 silvers and 28 bronze medals. A great haul celebrating the individual and team efforts of the athletes competing.
Weave would like to pay a particular mention to the efforts of Jarryd Clifford, Australian track middle distance runner. Jarryd competes in the T13 category which is for those athletes with a visual impairment. Jarryd competed in the 5,000m and the 1,500m, with heart breaking results in both.
In the 5,000m Jarryd crossed the line in the bronze winning position, but unfortunately was later disqualified. Jarryd dropped the tether to his guide athlete in the final strides before crossing the finish line. This tether is required to be held for the entirety of the event, resulting in this unfortunate disqualification.
Jarryd competing in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Image sourced from his Strava, give him a follow!
To pour salt in the wounds, Jarryd missed out on bronze in the 1,500m by the nearest of margins. Jarryd come through in a time of 3:44.95, with a photo finish required to separate him from fellow athlete Anton Kuliatin in 3:44.94.
Despite this absolute heartbreak of missing out on two medals by the finest of margins, Jarryd displayed true sporting grace by saying the following in his post-race interviews.
“I’ve realized that a gold medal isn’t the only reason I run. Running gave me confidence in myself. It allowed me to comprehend and come to terms with my impairment. It’s given me so much in life. I love running. ”
These words are what, in my opinion, Occupational Therapy is best at. Not everyone is shooting for paralympic gold, but whatever my client’s goals are might as well be with how important they are. If Weave can support a client to build confidence, meaning, and purpose through an occupation in the same vein that Jarryd has, then it’s a job well done.
Congratulations again to Jarryd and the entire Australian paralympic team on a truly inspirational two weeks. Bring on LA 2028.