THE NEW DATES FOR THE TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES WERE SET TODAY, MARCH 30 2020, THEY WILL BE CELEBRATED FROM 24 AUGUST UNTIL 5 SEPTEMBER 2021
Quoting the gist of it
“ The leaderships of the key parties came together via telephone conference earlier today, joined by IOC President Thomas Bach, Tokyo 2020 President Mori Yoshirō, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko and Olympic and Paralympic Minister Hashimoto Seiko, and agreed on the new schedule.
This decision was taken based on three main considerations…
1. To protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved, and to support the containment of the COVID-19 virus.
2. To safeguard the interests of the athletes and of Olympic sport.
3. The global international sports calendar. …
Andrew Parsons, the President of the IPC, commented: “It is fantastic news that we could find new dates so quickly for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The new dates provide certainty for the athletes, reassurance for the stakeholders and something to look forward to for the whole world. When the Paralympic Games do take place in Tokyo next year, they will be an extra-special display of humanity uniting as one, a global celebration of human resilience and a sensational showcase of sport. With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games 512 days away, the priority for all those involved in the Paralympic Movement must be to focus on staying safe with their friends and family during this unprecedented and difficult time.” “
TOUGHERthan two cents
I started meeting the unsolicited point-blank question ”so what are you going to do if Tokyo’s cancelled?” around the middle of February. The first intercept occurred at my second home, a downtown Y gym, on the 8th rep of a 12 rep set. I powered out my final four of a decline dumbbell chest press set, head flushed and throbbing from the downward angle I’d prescribed to, and said “if Tokyo’s cancelled I believe we’ve got far bigger things to worry about in this world”. That was my authentic gut answer, one that I stood by for the innumerable encounters that followed…. but that being said, I’m still human.
March 22, 2020 | It was like a punch to my solar-plexus when an hour before the press release I received the CPC‘s (Canadian Paralympic Committee’s) email informing me that Canada, that I, was boycotting the Tokyo2020 Paralympic Games if they were not postponed. My logical mind understood the rationale and ramifications of the action being undertaken, but my emotional mind needed a bit of time to catch up – I wasn’t asked, I was told. Fast forward about 60minutes and a newscast later and I was still numb. The human mind, my mind, has a funny way of convincing us we’ve embraced acceptance before actually acknowledging the feels. So, take time to honour your emotions, greet them like a friendly face even when they arrive for dinner uninvited – you can leave the table when you’re ready. We have the power to invoke our wise mind (that place nestled nicely between emotion and logic) but we also need to honour our feelings to get there.
March 23, 2020 | now I‘m gifted with a definitive answer to the question of Tokyo2020’s postponement: ”if the Games are postponed it means I’ve a chance to attend them”. Life is here and now and the Tokyo2020 Paralympic Games are a symbol for me, not an identity, and now they signify ”hope”. In the meantime, COVID is a new norm, and one that is constantly evolving; come March 30, 2020 | the Games have indeed been postponed.
Every moment is an opportunity for joy. What are you grateful for today?