Paralympics 2012

[baratron]

Does anyone I know want to go to the Paralympics? I am not a "sports person", but I've always liked the Olympics, and I think it would be awesome to go. Since becoming more disabled I've been attracted to the Paralympics, for waffly reasons that could sound quite disablist if I tried to express them without lots of thought - so I'm not going to try right now. Anyway, the point is that I want to go and support disabled athletes. Ideally, our disabled athletes (*waves British flag*), but I would personally be happy to see anything at all. Except swimming events, because I fear being allergic to whatever they use to keep the water fresh, and an afternoon of wheezing doesn't sound like fun.

Tickets are on sale until 6pm on 26th September (but really, I'd want to have applied well before that!).

Here is ticket information for disabled people. Apparently they have wheelchair spaces, and not many steps seats, and seats for enhanced audio for visually impaired people, and seats with a clear view of a video screen for deaf people, but I don't know to what extent they can accommodate a mixed group of crips. It looks like they can do wheelchair user + deaf friend, perhaps - but not wheelchair user + deaf friend + blind friend. Fortunately, most of the people I know have either hearing issues or mobility issues, so that's okay.

Anyway - who's interested? Is anyone interested, or will I have to drag Richard along even though he isn't interested?!

Comments

[kshandra]

Were I not so many time zones away, I would love to go.

[nitoda]

Sorry, Summer type sports have never appealed to me. I used to enjoy watching sled hockey on the ice at the Arena, but that's as close as I've come to enjoying watching anything remotely like the Paralympics. Hope you find someone who will enjoy going along with you. I think Vicky was also interested ...

[taimatsu]

I'm interested, but not so interested that I have done anything about going myself. If I did liaise with you over tickets, we wouldn't have any guarantee of getting the same events, would we? I haven't even looked into how this works!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I'm on the wrong continent, but what I've seen of the Paralympics is actually much cooler than what I've seen of the Olympics.

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

I've seen some wheelchair rugby on TV and it looks interesting to see close up. Will take a look at the other sports on offer too when I get chance.

Tickets

[(Anonymous)]

Assuming it's similar to the main Olympics ticketing process, one person can apply for tickets on behalf of several people.
You apply for 'sessions', stating how many tickets you want for each session. The balloting is done by session, either you get all the tickets for that session or none of them.

[hiddenpaw.livejournal.com]

Just a thought but if you like Ice hockey you may enjoy wheelchair rugby. It's basically big blokes in strategically armoured Wheel chairs. I leave you to work out the rest.

[nitoda]

Yeah - I could enjoy watching that, maybe - but again, it's not a summer sport. For some reason summer sports leave me cold. Ironically enough. ;-)

[hiddenpaw.livejournal.com]

I must confess to wanting to see the Wheelchair rugby too.

Right now this is my season for desperately saving enough money to get me through the winter (When my normal line of work is thin on the ground), but I'm hoping I may be able to come by a seat nearer the date if they don't all go. (Slight fear that if anything is going to sell out it will be the big men in armoured chairs going "CRASH!"

[lizw.livejournal.com]

I want to go, but I've already applied for my own tickets (5-a-side football semi-finals and medal matches, plus a few alternative dates for Olympic Park day passes.)

[baratron.livejournal.com]

The sport which sounds most interesting to me is sitting volleyball (http://www.london2012.com/volleyball-sitting) - I actually watched the video and thought "I want to try that when I'm a bit healthier", which if you know how generally traumatised I was by team sport at school is utterly amazing! But I'm also generally interested in athletics (http://www.london2012.com/paralympic-athletics).

I am happy to buy tickets for me plus however many others, with reimbursement to be arranged nearer the date (as anything could happen between now and next August). Do either of those sports appeal to you?

[baratron.livejournal.com]

The sport which sounds most interesting to me is sitting volleyball (http://www.london2012.com/volleyball-sitting) - I actually watched the video and thought "I want to try that when I'm a bit healthier", which if you know how generally traumatised I was by team sport at school is utterly amazing! But I'm also generally interested in athletics (http://www.london2012.com/paralympic-athletics).

I am happy to buy tickets for me plus however many others, with reimbursement to be arranged nearer the date (as anything could happen between now and next August). Do either of those sports appeal to you?

[baratron.livejournal.com]

I believe that wheelchair rugby is one of the sports most likely to sell out. Apparently at the Paralympics it will be played in mixed teams (http://www.london2012.com/wheelchair-rugby), and oddly there are only 8 of them (out of all of the countries that are taking part). Mind you, looking at all the sports it seems that the Paralympics events other than Athletics are highly cut down, which is sad.

I don't mind applying for some wheelchair rugby tickets and seeing what I get? I must owe you three or four birthday presents by now (not even sure I managed a card this year - Richard doesn't remember anyone's birthday, and if I'm not well enough to do them, they don't get done)!

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

Yes. Both look good.