Exclusive: Attitudes to Paralympic Sport Have Changed Since London 2012 says Reddish
August 30, 2013
The President of the British Paralympic Association (BPA), sale Tim Reddish has argued that attitudes towards Paralympic sport have improved, anesthetist one year on from the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
The Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics was on August 29 and one year later people are discussing the legacy of the event.
Reddish (pictured), viagra sale who was a successful swimmer during a 13-year career, has dismissed some viewpoints that the Games have not left enough of a legacy.
Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Reddish said: “Attitudes have changed. The public now view the sport as elite and world class and ticket sales for the Anniversary Games and our National Paralympic Day show that there is an appetite to watch more.
“This was always part of our plan. Our athletes just want to be viewed in the same way as their Olympic counterparts.”
Sophie Christiansen secured three gold medals in equestrian during London 2012 and in an article in the Guardian she argued that more needed to be done to help people with disabilities find and fund the care they need.
Christiansen, 25, who was born with cerebral palsy also argued that more Paralympic sports needed to be broadcast.
Reddish however, argued that there was a lot of evidence that Paralympic sports in Britain had flourished since London 2012.
“In terms of participation, we have lots of evidence from our membership that there has been an increased appetite from the general public to take up disability sport,” said Reddish.
“This is shown by the over 1500 people who attended our Sports Fest, the increasing numbers of people using our Deloitte Parasport website to find a club and the reports of increased attendance levels at wheelchair basketball, rugby and boccia clubs to name just a few.”
