I’m currently on a bus from Vancouver to Whistler. I’m jet-lagged and tired, but ridiculously excited about the next few days ahead. I really wasn’t sure what to expect from the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, but after attending the Opening Ceremony I can tell it’s going to be something special. I’m so proud to be here.

Earlier today, I was beginning to have my doubts about how big an event the Games would actually be. Vancouver seemed quiet and I had been informed by one local that I’d arrived two weeks late. Another told me that all the street entertainment during the Olympic Winter Games had gone.

It struck me that one thing London should try to do is to keep up the momentum in the city in the days after the London 2012 Olympic Games, to ensure that the London 2012 Paralympic Games has the same atmosphere and excitement. I was worried that Vancouver had finished celebrating and that the Paralympic Winter Games might seem like an afterthought.

However, the Opening Ceremony dispelled these doubts. BC Place was full to capacity, with around 60,000 spectators present to welcome the athletes and the start of the Games. I’d read earlier in the day that the organisers had sold a large proportion of discounted tickets to schools, and this was clear from the age of the audience.

This was a clever move. Not only does it engage children, from a young age, in disability sport, but it also ensured that the venue was full, which made for a more powerful atmosphere.



The theme of the evening was ‘one inspires the many’, and it truly was an inspirational night. The performers were amazing and the right balance was struck between celebrating athletic ability and acknowledging the challenges of disability.

The organisers ensured that the audience participated throughout, with pockets of the audience there as secret performers who, to everyone’s surprise, started a co-ordinated dance routine during one of the acts. One of the aims of the Paralympic Winter Games is inclusion and, by involving the spectators, there really was a feeling that everyone was a part of the event.

It is clear that the Paralympic Winter Games is not a secondary ticket. Whilst there may not have been superstar performers during the Paralympic version of the Opening Ceremony - and I am not into Michael Buble anyway -  the performances were unforgettable. After what I’ve seen tonight, I can’t wait for the Games to begin.

Edwina Kelly is a Senior Associate in Tax at Deloitte. She is in Vancouver as a VIP guest of the International Paralympic Committee, having won a competition which highlighted how proud she is of Deloitte Disability Sport