Para athletes earning right to be on top billing at the Commonwealth Games

THE integration of para athletes onto the main billing at the Commonwealth Games has been more than vindicated by the athletes’ performances and the reaction of crowds, making para-normal the infectious new vibe on the Gold Coast.

PARA-normal is the infectious vibe of these Commonwealth Games because it has turned a swimmer without legs like Adelaide gold medallist Jesse Aungles into an emblem of all he can do, rather than what he can’t.

The feeling is everywhere. It’s at the pool, it was with inspirational Lauren Parker in triathlon even when she tumbled and it was at the track yesterday where wheelchair athlete Kurt Fearnley raced his heat and beamed: “Life’s great.”

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That from an inspirational three-time Paralympic gold medallist who did the Kokoda Track. He crawled it.

Because para-swimming silver medallist Ellie Cole, Melbourne-bred but living on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, has been competing for more than a decade she has sensed the strong wind change.

Jesse Aungles of Australia celebrates victory in the Men's SM8 200m Individual Medley Final. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“Perception is changing of people with disabilities,” said Cole who lost her right leg to a rare cancer as a three-year-old.

“A constant theme in the many messages I’ve got is from people saying they are going to get off the couch and exercise because seeing a para-athlete race they realise they have no real excuse not to get out there and get healthy.

“The ones I really love have come from parents of kids with disabilities who say their child has just lost a leg to cancer and they want to be like me because they see us on TV.

Lakeisha Patterson hugs Ellie Cole after winning the Women's S9 100m Freestyle Final. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

“And, hopefully, I’m going to have people come up to me and say you can do anything you like and I’m not going to help you with your shopping bags anymore.”

Aungles, 22, has risen way above a malformed right leg and a lower left leg amputation because he made every journalist who interviewed him after his 200m individual medley gold on Sunday night feel they had to lift their games in life.

Kurt Fearnley has long been the poster boy for Australian disability sport. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

He’s studying at university in Canberra, learning Japanese ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and wants to be a diplomat.

“It did feel like I was floating with that crowd at the pool because I had so much support ... nothing in my life has compared to that atmosphere,” Aungles said.

“The Olympic swimmers were my heroes but I thought, as a kid, this will never happen for me.

“At 11 or 12, I was actually not very good and even others with the same disability would have smashed me in the pool.

“Anyone could have beaten me but the message is stick with it and you never know where you will end up.”

Cole knows what the lasting power of the Para-Normal Games will be.

“I never had a para-athlete as a role model because I couldn’t ever watch them on TV or see them compete. That’s all changing,” Cole said.

Lauren Parker drew praise for her response to this crash during the triathlon as she went on to claim bronze. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

“I remember walking down the street in London during the 2012 Paralympics with two short-statured girls, Jesse with no legs and me with one.

“We were definitely a sight to see but no one gave us a second look and that’s never happened to me before.”

Originally published as Para athletes earning right to be on top billing at the Commonwealth Games