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Richmond Centre for Disability's Dave Thomson has set up a TV at Lansdowne Centre for shoppers to get at least a quick glimpse of Canada’s Paralympians in action at the Tokyo Games.
Photo courtesy Richmond Centre for Disability
Cheering on our Paralympians
By Don Fennell
Published 11:24 PDT, Tue August 24, 2021
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While compiling the bios for the B.C. athletes competing at the 2020 Summer Paralympics (scheduled to begin today in Tokyo), Dave Thomson knew he had to find a way to do more to recognize their efforts.
“I was so amazed by the strength of the human spirit,” said the community outreach co-ordinator at the Richmond Centre for Disability.
So despite the ongoing pandemic putting a damper on things—or at least in many instances severely limiting what can be done—Thomson and his peers have set up a cheering section of sorts at Lansdowne Centre shopping mall.
“Of course COVID is not helping so we are just keeping it very casual,” explains Thomson, noting a TV has been set up directly across from the customer service desk—from which it is being monitored.
“We are just trying to do what we can in this crazy time. I have a few friends competing and I really felt so bad about how COVID was going to alter their experience.”
Thomson hopes that people will pause, maybe see something that catches their eye, and will stop and watch some of a PowerPoint (an updated medal count will be kept, featuring all 21 B.C. athletes and their 11 chosen sports) and perhaps spark an interest.
“We have a selfie zone set up, so people can post their support,” he explains. “And of course I hope it helps give more exposure to the Paralympic movement.”
Former Richmondite Travis Murao, now residing in Toronto, is a player on Canada’s wheelchair rugby team. He also previously participated in the Beijing, London and Rio Games.
Canada’s wheelchair rugby team qualified for the Games in March 2020 in Richmond, just before the pandemic shut things down. Canada is ranked No. 5 in the world and was fourth at the 2016 Paralympics.
Canada’s round-robin wheelchair rugby games in Tokyo are scheduled for Aug. 25 versus Great Britain, Aug. 26 versus the United States, and Aug. 27 versus New Zealand.
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