A Different Kind of Olympic Unifier

I smiled from ear to ear when I read this inspiring story (please see below) about Vancouver's quadriplegic mayor. First of all, what a great guy to read about, a man who's overcome considerable obstacles. A proud civic leader who gets to represent his country from his wheelchair. SO very cool!

I've always enjoyed watching the Olympics, especially the ice skating. I was so upset last night when Sasha Cohen fell :( But so be the games... and the best skater of the night wears the gold. I love watching the best athletes in the world in one place-- and I feel the games bring our world communities together. It's something everyone's talking about, a common experience that is positive and a joy for me.

So about 18 years ago when one of my brothers said he was against the Olympics, because it was horrible to make countries compete, bringing further division to our already divided world. I had to really think about that... He did have a point,and I can see the negative aspect of the Olympics. I feel frustrated whenever someone mentions how many medals each country has one--like they're missing the point of bringing the world together to celebrate athletic grace and accomplishment.

For me, the Olympics provide an opportunity to get to know a foreign city, a far-away culture-- and to see up-close and personal stories about people who are worlds away. It makes me feel closer to my figurative brothers and sisters-- and definitely sparks my love for travel. I have to check off the big POSITIVE box when it comes to the Olympics.

And Mayor Sullivan further unifies as he not only represents another country, but another expression of the physical self. The disabled are still feared and misunderstood because the temporarily-able bodied world so rarely gets to see us. I give a "sitting O" to this wonderful gentleman. His spirit and courage shine as bright, if not brighter, as that Olympic torch.

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Vancouver's quadriplegic mayor plans on waving flag

Feb. 23, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

TURIN, Italy -- A new star emerged Thursday at the Olympics: the quadriplegic mayor of the city that will host the 2010 Winter Games.
Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan has used a wheelchair since he broke his neck in a skiing accident when he was 19.
"Some have questioned the wisdom of Vancouver sending its worst skier to Torino," he said at a news conference where, with wit and charisma, he demonstrated how -- despite minimal use of his hands -- he will be on the receiving end of the traditional Olympic flag handover at Sunday's closing ceremonies.
Addressing reporters in a large auditorium, Sullivan drove his motorized wheelchair from behind the speakers' table to the front of the stage to exhibit a custom-designed attachment with a metal cylinder into which International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge will insert the flag.
Other mayors in the same role at past ceremonies have at that point proudly waved the giant flag; Sullivan plans to maneuver his wheelchair briskly enough so that the motion makes the flag flutter.
"The worst case scenario -- the flag blows in my face and I fall off the edge of the stage," he said.
But such a mishap seems unlikely. Sullivan confided the "top secret" information that he has spent many hours practicing his routine in various Vancouver parking lots, often at odd hours and sometimes arousing the suspicions of neighbors.
After a quick spin in his chair, with a practice flag pole attached, he advised reporters, "Don't try this at home."
Sullivan was elected mayor in November after 12 years as a city councilor. His term expires in 2009, but he could seek another term that would enable him to preside during the 2010 Games.
Jokes aside, Sullivan made clear this was a momentous personal occasion, as well as a milestone for his city.
"Twenty-seven years ago I was lying paralyzed in a hospital bed. For many years I was on welfare and in social housing," he said. "I never, ever imagined I'd be able to represent my country, my province and my city in this wonderful event."
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

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