ABC. This podcast contains audio advertising.
To hear it without ads, head to the ABC Listen app now.
ABC Listen. Hello, my friends.
It's Ruby here, and you are listening to a special episode of News Time.
Hi, Ruby. Hi, Ruby.
Hi, Ruby. Right now, athletes around the world are taking their marks and getting set for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
They're happening later this year in a very famous city.
Prish or Sydney? I don't have a clue.
Paris. That's right.
Paris. Bonjour. The beautiful capital of the country, France.
These big sports events happen once every four years, so athletes have lots of time to train and make sure they are in tip -top shape before they compete.
My friend Liz Wright is a reporter for ABC Sport, and she knows heaps about the Paralympics.
It's not just because Liz is a sports journalist, it's also because she is a Paralympian.
Hello, Liz. Hi, Ruby.
Hi, everyone. Hi, Liz.
Hi, Liz. So, there are two different events coming up this year, the Olympics and the Paralympics.
He's just so far -er.
No para with a P. Liz, what's the big deal about these events?
Ruby, both the Olympics and Paralympics will bring athletes from different countries right around the world to one city.
And this year, it's Paris, and they're going to compete in so many different sports.
Running races, long jump, that's my favourite, swimming racing.
There's lots of different activities that people compete in.
That's right. Each athlete represents their home country in a sport of their choosing, and athletes who come first, second or third are awarded medals.
The Olympics have been held just about every four years since 1896, but the first Paralympics was held in Rome in 1960.
And what makes the Paralympics different to the Olympics?
Ruby athletes at the Paralympics, or para -athletes, have physical, vision or intellectual impairments.
The athletes at these games are grouped together in categories with people of similar disabilities, so the competition is fair.
And why is it called the Paralympics?
What does the para mean?
I think I've heard, but I don't know when.
Comparison or something?
But it's in Paris? They're all very good guesses.
Para comes from the Greek word para, which means beside or alongside.
And the Paralympics happen alongside the Olympics.
This year, they're being held a few weeks after.
Mm, I see. That makes sense.
And, Liz, you are a Paralympian, which means you know what it's like to actually compete at the Paralympics.
What is it like? Ruby, the Paralympics are amazing.
My sport was swimming.
I competed in the Atlanta Paralympics in 1996 and the Sydney Games here in Australia in 2000, where I won a silver medal in the 400 -metre freestyle.
Whoa. The Paralympics was a great experience.
I got to travel all over the world to compete, and I made so many lovely friends along the way.
That sounds like an amazing time.
And, Liz, nowadays, you're one of my colleagues here at the ABC, and you work as a sports reporter, so I guess you'll be doing quite a few stories on the Paralympics this year.
Absolutely, Ruby. Why is it important for you to tell those stories and for us to hear them?
Well, not many people were aware of the Paralympics when I was competing, but more people definitely know about it now.
I want to make sure that para -athletes get the same opportunities as non -disabled athletes, and this includes getting to tell their stories and celebrate their successes in the media.
That's pretty cool.
I can't wait to watch and cheer on Australia.
I love hearing stories about athletes, the ones who push themselves right to the edges of what they're capable of.
So, Liz, let's talk about the actual sports.
What's the difference between the sports that we watch at the Olympics and the sports at the Paralympics?
You'll find many similar events, such as swimming and athletics, but at the Paralympics, sports are modified to suit disabled athletes.
For example, while the Olympics has basketball and volleyball, the Paralympics has wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.
There's also several sports that are in the Paralympics that you won't find at the Olympics.
Things like botcha, which is played by athletes who have a significant physical impairment affecting all four of their limbs, they must throw, kick or use a ramp device to move leather balls as close as possible to a white ball called a jack.
Another great sport is goalball, which is played by athletes with vision impairment.
Using a ball with a bell inside, they need to roll it past their opponents and into a goal.
They sound like fun and pretty hard.
And Liz, all athletes use special tools to help them compete at their best.
What kind of tools do Para athletes use?
Sport, clothing and what they need to wear.
I only need some sunscreen and fugs and some swimmers.
A wheelchair and they need a ball so they can practise.
Hmm, one important thing every athlete needs is the right clothing.
Every athlete receives a uniform to suit their body shape for the opening ceremony and for when they compete.
Every athlete has different needs according to their body and so all clothes are highly adaptable.
For example, some athletes need zip -up shoes instead of laces.
Others need magnets on their jackets rather than buttons.
Accessibility is a very important thing.
A lot of work goes into making sure that athletes are comfortable so they can compete at their very best.
Yeah, you can't do your best if you're not comfortable.
So that's clothing.
What about other equipment?
Ruby, again, all athletes have very different needs.
Para cyclists may need unique attachments to their bike handles because of their disability.
Track athletes may need a racing wheelchair that is very different to their everyday chair.
This extra equipment can be expensive to ship over to Paris and, unfortunately, it can also get damaged on the journey.
Confused because how would you get it on the plane or in your cart?
Because it might be across the world and you don't have that much money to go.
Yeah, it just sounds so expensive to get all that gear over to Paris.
How can athletes even afford to go?
It can be a real challenge because there's also the cost of a plane ticket, too.
Some of the money to send athletes is given by state and federal governments and some comes from sponsors who pay to use athletes in advertisements.
But there's also a crucial amount of money that comes from people like you and I who donate money and raise funds for the athletes.
But this means that the athletes are so busy.
Right now, many Paralympians are working full -time jobs and training in their sport and fundraising so they can head to Paris and follow their dreams.
Oh, busy, busy, busy.
Is it the same for athletes who compete in the Olympics?
Not quite. Many Olympic sports receive a lot more funding than Paris sports and many Olympic athletes receive more sponsorship and funding than para -athletes.
It all stems from opportunities in sport in Australia.
There is, unfortunately, some disparity.
What's disparity mean?
Disparity, in this sense, means that things aren't equal for non -disabled and disabled sports people.
You see, around 20 % of the Australian population lives with a disability.
Paralympics Australia found that three in four of those people want to play sport but only one in four has access to it.
And while there's great Olympic programs to get non -disabled athletes to the Olympics, there's just not the same amount of investment given to the Paralympic programs which help athletes train.
And you also have to remember that para -athletes often need more specialised equipment and support to compete in sport.
Which also needs to be funded.
Something Olympic athletes may not have to worry about.
Like, how would you get that much money if, like, it's only a couple days until you go to Paris?
Very frustrated and annoying.
Sad and it's a bit rude because why don't the Paralympians, just because they have a disability, don't get money?
Yeah, it doesn't sound very equal.
Are things getting any fairer as time goes on, Liz?
Yeah, it has. Previously, Australian Olympians who received a gold medal got a bonus cash prize of $20 ,000.
Silver medalists got $15 ,000 and bronze medalists got $10 ,000.
But Paralympians who received the same medals didn't receive a bonus cash prize at all.
Hmm. That's very unfair and I feel a bit sad for the Paralympians because they don't get money like the other ones do.
This disparity made the news during the last Games in Tokyo back in 2021 and that's now led to change.
So this year in Paris, Olympic and Paralympic athletes who receive medals will get the same prize money as each other.
Bellary Ds for everyone.
That's good. That is good news.
And, Liz, you said there are lots of para -athletes who are raising money right now so that they can get themselves and their equipment to Paris because it's not far away now, right?
It's not far away at all.
The Paralympics will happen at the end of August so there's still plenty of time to show athletes our support.
Maybe you could go there and give them some money when they maybe, like, come off or something.
Turn them on when they're doing their things.
Maybe you could, like, with a family member or something you live with, you can make, like, something and then you could at your school you could sell them something like cupcakes and red velvet, vanilla and chocolate ones.
Like, you could have a special canteen day.
Like, lots of food and $1 or $2 so they can actually go.
Maybe Muftee Day and, like, when you have a Muftee Day wear really, really bright clothes and, like, you bring in, like, a gold coin donation for the Paralympians.
Those are all great ideas.
Maybe you could speak to your schoolteacher and see what your school could do.
Sounds awesome. Liz, I'd love for you to come back to news time soon and maybe bring along some other Paralympians, some who are going to Paris.
I know we love to meet them and hear about their sports.
You bet, Ruby. I would love to.
Woo -hoo. Can't wait.
Hey, Liz, thank you so much for joining us today to talk to us about the Paralympics.
Thank you, Liz. Thank you, Liz.
And go Australia. Go Australia!
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.
Oi, oi, oi. And I will catch you all soon for our regular weekly episode of News Time.
Thank you, Ruby. Bye, Ruby.
See you later, or, as our athletes will be saying in Paris, au revoir.
See you from your app store.
