Watch and be amazed

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South Africa's Olympian Oscar Pistorius will run at the Paralympics, too. (CP)

When Canada's 145 athletes attend the Paralympic opening ceremonies in London on Wednesday they will be returning to the birthplace of their sport to celebrate its phenomenal success. What started in 1948 as a feel-good event to help rehabilitate injured soldiers is now so competitive there aren't enough spots for all the elite athletes who qualify.

Little wonder, with the likes of Canada's Michelle Stilwell who has her eye on achieving the famed double-double by winning back-to-back Paralympic 100-metre and 200-metre sprints. She's the Usain Bolt of wheelchair racing.

Then there's Benoit Huot who has no fewer than 16 Paralympic swimming medals in his back pocket. He only has to win a few more in London to enter Michael Phelps medal-haul territory.

But when it comes to expectations of a top podium finish, they don't come any higher than for Summer Mortimer. The 19-year-old from Ancaster, Ont., is the world record-holder in five -- yes, five -- freestyle and backstroke swimming events.

No wonder Gaetan Tardif, the team's chef de mission, likes to say one of the biggest differences between the Paralympics and the Olympics is "we sing a lot." Indeed, he expects to be singing O Canada in 15 to 20 gold medal ceremonies at these Games. That's probably what it will take to meet the team's goal for a Top 8 finish.

Strong as the team is that Canada is fielding, such a high finish is by no means guaranteed. We were early adopters of the Paralympic movement but the world is catching up. And just like at the Olympics, a good chunk of the podium standings come down to population size, national sports focus and funding. Countries with those attributes in spades, such as China, are now in the serious hunt for medals. These Games will be the hardest fought ever, with more athletes from more countries seeking Paralympic glory.

Canadians have long known Paralympians are defined by their gritty determination and sheer athletic excellence, not their disability. It's welcome that more nations are seeing that, even if it makes it that much tougher for our elite athletes to get to the top step of the podium.

Still, even here at home, these Games get less attention than they deserve. An hour-long highlight show will be televised each night and there's live online streaming of multiple events throughout the 12 days of competition. That's better than in the past, but nothing like the blanket Olympic coverage we saw just weeks ago.

"If you want to be amazed by what human beings can do in all shapes and forms, watch the Paralympics," urges Mr. Tardif. He's right. Awe-inspiring feats of athleticism and sheer willpower to overcome adversity are the stock-in-trade of these Games. It's a joy to see.

Like the Olympics, the Paralympics give us a wonderful chance every four years to celebrate the triumphs of our very best. So tune in, cheer them on and take pride in seeing Canada's elite athletes give their all, and then some.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 28, 2012 A10