I can’t believe the Paris Paralympics are over already! This is part one of two blogs which are about my experience as an athlete at the Paris Paralympics.

The Village 

Entering the village was daunting at first. The village is like a small city with high-rise apartment buildings which accommodate all the different countries. It takes some time to navigate the village and they have small accessible cars that can drive you around because it is so big! The food hall was massive and had all different cuisines to choose including French, Italian, and Asian. Open 24hours a day the food was great with lots of options and, of course, I had to try the famous chocolate muffin which was so yummy! 

Some of the other services in the village included a hairdresser, post office, Costa coffee shop, Corona (zero alcohol) outdoor bar, Samsung shop, and official merchandise shop. As well as services like a medical centre, doping control, gym, and some sport-specific training facilities. There were also entertainment areas with arcade games, big TVs to watch sports, and even a tattoo artist.

Opening ceremony 

It was disappointing to not be allowed to march due to covid restrictions at the Tokyo Paralympics, so I was VERY excited for the Paris opening ceremony. For the first time in history the opening ceremony was not inside a stadium, instead being held at the Place de la Concorde which is the largest public square in Paris. 

While the Eiffel Tower featured at the Olympics, the Arc de Triomphe monument proudly displayed the Paralympic Agitos which was connected to the Concorde via a 2-kilometre avenue called the Champs-Elysees. After a police escort to get from the village into the city our team gathered on the Champs-Elysee just in time to watch the sunset behind the Arc de Triomphe and see the jets with contrails in the colours of the French flag fly over signalling the start of the ceremony.

In front of cheering fans lining both sides of the Champs-Elysee, we started our march and entered the square which had high stadium seating, the Luxor Obelisk, large TV screens surrounding the fountains, and a stage in the middle. While not as loud as inside a stadium, I felt a rush of adrenaline and immense pride to be there representing my country while looking up at the crowds of people cheering and waving. After the march, I chose to stay and watch the rest of the show as my event was at the end of the games (plenty of time to recover I thought). It was a very late night but I loved the show and at the very end I could just see in the distance the hot air balloon cauldron as it rose from the Tuileries Gardens outside the Louvre. It was such a memorable experience and I was on such a high, unfortunately two days later I tested positive for Covid. To be continued…

About the Author:

Susan Seipel is a diverse para-athlete with a background in swimming, and equestrian, and is a triple World Champion in the sport of Paracanoe.

She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and was the first Australian in history to win a medal in Paracanoe at the Paralympic level. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Susan won a silver medal in the inaugural women’s canoe event. She is currently training for Paris 2024.

Outside of sports, Susan is a proud ambassador for RSPCA Queensland and is passionate about animal welfare. She is also studying Psychology at university.

http://www.susanseipel.com