By Ross Clark from the Daily Mail Published: 16:56 ET, 11th September 2016 | Updated: 19:57 ET, 11th September 2016 ...
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British Paralympian Jonnie Peacock Ross Clark talks about how he struggles to see the Paralympics when he understands the reality of having a child with a disability
Honestly, I tried as hard as the Paralympics. There I saw the opening ceremony in London, when I. In the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in recent weeks four years I tried to watch a little every day.
But the inconvenient truth is that, in contrast to the attitude of the public that has prevailed during the event to enjoy, to fight.
Now, five days into the games this year and at least 20 gold medals earned so far from Team GB, I still find it difficult to participate in the celebrations.
Not that I do not admire the enormous efforts put people in their sport, and I am confused by the endless classifications in which competing athletes.
What a fight with the image of disability that occurs.
The Paralympics is so far removed from the experience of most of us, started every day, to fear dealing with family members with disabilities the event.
The news of the Paralympic Games is presented that any disability can overcome, the inability to do things that is in the head. It is, of course, superficially attractive idea.
Behind every medal is a kind of Hollywood "story" - an inspiring story of a person who once thought he could not do something with courage but, and their doubts overcome effort to achieve something.
In many cases they lead to a level that most non-disabled people can not do, or at least not without putting the same effort into training.
However tend to what people are forgetting the Paralympics is observed that you are looking for only the extreme upper end of the disability spectrum: people, who physically disabled and people with learning difficulties are very soft.
In - Behind them is a huge population that never go anywhere near the competition at the Paralympic Games, because they are not able to run, jump, swim or run, or if they can, they will never be able to compete in any meaningful sense.
Jon-Allan Butterworth of Great Britain, Jody Cundy and Louis Rolfe with their gold medals celebrate after the 750m mixed C1-5 team sprint final on the fourth day of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro to win Brazil
One of them is my daughter, Eliza, who is 19 and severe learning difficulties has. It also has mild physical disabilities. (His feet are not designed arches and reasonably parallel to each other).
This results in a slow, awkward gait, but continue to walk or run.
Sometimes it surprises me with its physical implementation. One of my proudest put them on a mountain 4,000 feet in Scotland in a marathon eight - hours a day.
My hobby is climbing - I would not happened before, it was something we can do together, although a quarter of my normal pace and only on the days she is in a state of mind calm.
You can also swim - better than I, in a sense, because unlike me, she is not afraid to put his head under water.
Eliza, a ball, croquet shake a stick, take a golf club. Every sport which use other sooner or later sees a have to go to them.
However, Eliza will never compete in sports, because they simply do not understand the competitive nature of the -. It One of his favorite sports - it has not quite made ​​the Paralympics - the stalemate.
It is not bad, the arms did. And given this, it appears that the serious treatment. They often I declare with joy: "I won!
The problem is, you say, "I won", regardless of whether it actually won. They will say that even before it has begun. She goes through the motions. It is a ritual that he has learned and what he likes to say., Is in any real sense that in competitive sports.
It is the same for operation. You like in sports - to participate day in the city, but are not the same as competition.
When the gun start, they rest easy where fire.
Then one half was - minute running later after some encouragement. But it is insensitive to the fact that other outdo each other try first to cross the line.
The daughter of Ross Clark, Eliza Clark (right) at the Summer Olympic Games in 2012
She did not really understand what happens when she sees the sport. In 2012, it was taken for a day to see the Paralympic Games as part of a group of children and adults with learning disabilities When he returned in the afternoon -. Lunch, I asked him what he had seen, and what they wanted ,
His first reaction was to "train". Pressed further, she mentioned the trip in the car a caregiver on the way to the station.
A few weeks later, got my wife and I that the sport had seen when he came to London.
We even saw a beautiful picture of his presentation with the Brazilian team boccia (similar to sports for the disabled to dishes) - in which the yellow jersey, the merged factly. He had enjoyed a nice day, but the sport is - even had its incomprehensible since a spectacle.
I'm afraid to say, apart photo bombing of a bowling team, no place for people like my daughter at the Paralympics.
Eliza can seem to embrace the original Olympic ideal, which is the part of the decision, not the conquest that counts.
UK Ellie Robinson with his gold medal at the victory ceremony 50m butterfly S6 Women Olympic Swimming Stadium
But that is not always the case at the Paralympics.
My lasting image of the Paralympic Games in 2012, the British cyclist Jody Cundy throwing his water bottle and shouted insults at the judge disqualified after a false start.
Their behavior was disgraceful, and had to apologize later at the crowd.
However, many commentators have a positive interpretation of what he had done, arguing that the Paralympic Games have shown that only could be so competitive, passionate, than their non-disabled colleagues. At the Olympic Games
Obviously, the fact that people like Eliza will never be able to compete in the sport, does not mean that other people with mild disabilities should not participate or Paralympic should not exist. But what annoys me is the conclusion that what you will see in the coming days is representative of the disabled in any way, and all those who could bring on the podium in Rio to end, if you enter only in trouble and the confidence even.
They could not. In many cases they have also inspired by the Paralympics - for the simple reason that they are not be able to understand what it is.
For loads guaranteed medals Great - Britain - as impressive as the performances are - means nothing, because they really do not appreciate the difference between winning and losing.
The truth is that there is a big gap in the Paralympics among people who have simple physical, like an amputated limb, and people with learning difficulties.
"As a nation, our booty of gold ridicule by treating them as a triumph of hope over adversity, but at the same time, we forget what life is really like for most people with disabilities and their families
The first group will compete with all the tenacity, as if they were in the Olympics.
However, events for people with learning disabilities are more moderate board games.
But somehow we have allowed to develop the impression that the Paralympics are representative of all people with disabilities.
As a nation, to mock our booty of gold, one to treat them by the triumph of hope over adversity. But at the same time, we forget what life is really like for most people with disabilities and their families.
For many of us, during the Paralympics, the biggest challenge is not to think about how our loved ones could run 100 meters in the shortest possible time.
Who will control the seizures, a full bathroom confused routine in less than an hour and a half to convince and angry person who can really lie on the floor in the middle of a memory.
I do not want to undermine the achievements of Paralympic athletes, and I hope that people like to watch the games. But please do not think what you see is an example for all people to follow with disabilities.
