Why you should watch the paralympics

This year, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are being held in Paris, making quite the elegant, dreamy backdrop for the world's most beloved and prestigious sporting event. But it's not the carrying of the flame or the elaborate opening ceremony that draws in viewers; hope does that. And if watching the Olympics brought back your faith in the human spirit and showed you what sheer determination and hard work can do, you'll want to watch the Paralympics for an even higher dose of it.

From the perspective of someone who is missing a limb and can't always step out of the car in the rain without falling (twice) and sending my prosthesis flying off, I am in awe of what these athletes are able to do. The physical challenges they have to overcome in order to compete at such a high level leaves me in awe every single time. Understanding just a sliver of the disability experience will give you so much respect for their sport. They are athletes, Just the same as those competing in the Olympics, but with even more grit. Instead of telling disabled people they inspire us just because they choose to carry on with their lives, and not live in a dark hole, how about complimenting them on the kind of achievements we would compliment any other person on? Qualifying for the Paralympics or going above and beyond to help others in your community sound like things worth being inspired by if you ask me.

After spending the last week watching the various events, I am reminded of just how much we are each capable of and how blessed I feel to be a part of an online community that cheers each other on to such great heights. My teacup of hope has been refilled with steaming hot ambition. I may never win a gold medal for the 400-meter sprint like Hunter Woodhall, but I can cheer him on and then get back to work on accomplishing my version of a sprint.

I'll be in Paris next month, and although it's always been such a special place to me, I know this year, it will be full of even more magic, no doubt still lingering from this past weeks Paralympic events.