Bathe Me In Your Light featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson

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What words are they to describe the performances we witnessed during the recent Paris Para- Olympics?  Inspirational, courageous, heartwarming, heart- breaking? It is said a picture paints a thousand words and now videos perhaps even more.  So, today’s blog features a picture (well photo) and a video.

I did the high jump quite a bit in my youth – first at Primary School using the “Scissors” technique in which you landed on your feet. As the landing area was made up of hard coconut matting no other technique was feasible (unless of course you were mad!)  Then at Secondary school sand pits allowed the “Western Roll” in which you landed on your side. Then at College, “Straddle” which was similar to “Western Roll” but, like its name suggests, the bar was straddled with one leg then the other (“Western roll” had both legs clearing the bar at the same time.”) Then with the advent of crash mats and a high jump phenomenon named Dick Fosbury it was the “Fosbury” or “Fosbury Flop” as it was first called. So, with this background I was in total awe of what the high jumper in the video achieved.

The camaraderie which was intrinsic to the Para- Olympics is beautifully portrayed in the featured photo of wheelchair tennis singles finalists Alfie Hewitt and Tokito Oda, Tokito had just beaten Alfie and in the emotion of winning fell out of his wheelchair – Alfie came over to the other side of the net to help Tokito back into his chair, replacing a wheel and ending in an embrace of mutual respect.  Magic!

Quote of the week