When the 20 Percent Are Seen the World Becomes Whole

(May Zhao Interviews the Chair of the British Paralympic Association)On the eve of the Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games, the Paralympic flame is set to be reignited and the world’s attention turns once again to the Paralympic stage. In an exclusive interview with May Zhao, the Chair of the British Paralympic Association said ParalympicsGB is ready.

Asked what advantage Britain must not lose in this cycle, his answer was immediate and unequivocal: passion and the will to win. “Sport is unpredictable. But we know our athletes will give absolutely everything. We hope their very best will be better than the rest of the world — and that it will bring medals.”

Yet, in his view, medals are not the whole story. What matters more is changing how the world understands disability.

“Twenty percent of the world’s population lives with a disability,” he noted. Too often, society sees the challenges but fails to recognise the potential. “When people understand disability in all its forms — the barriers, but also the opportunities — the world becomes more inclusive.”

He stressed that an extraordinary amount of talent exists among people with disabilities — talent that remains far from fully utilised. The true power of the Paralympic Movement, he said, lies in making ability visible.

As for his dream, he summed it up in a single sentence: “That the Paralympic flame burns ever brighter across the world — and continues to do so for all time.” When the flame is lit tomorrow, it will illuminate far more than the field of play.