Paris celebrates Paralympic Day

Thousands of Parisians gathered at the Place de la Bastille for a sporting revolution on Saturday. They came in peace, not protest, to witness the birth of Paralympic Day, an occasion meant to mark the city’s commitment to para-sport ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games.

Inclusivity and accessibility were the words of the day, as the Place de la Bastille was transformed into an open-air sandbox for para-sport. Festivities included cultural performances, a hands-on experience with para-sport, and multiple demonstrations by top level adaptive athletes.

Markus Rehm, a double amputee and three time Paralympic champion, dazzled spectators with jumps over eight meters at an artificially constructed long jump pit, while former acrobatic gymnastics champion Maxine Eouzan and partner Michaël Jérémias, a wheelchair tennis champion at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, provided entertainment on the main stage.

In between demonstrations and performances, Parisians were able to try out 15 different Paralympic sports, including wheelchair basketball, boccia, visually impaired football, wheelchair fencing, para rowing, wheelchair tennis, and sitting volleyball.

They were also able to meet prominent French Paralympians, such as Sandrine Martinet, Nelia Barbosa, Arnaud Assoumani, Perle Bouge, Maxime Valet, Marie Patouillet, Alexis Hanquinquant, and Benjamin Daviet.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons praised the event, commenting, “it was a fantastic experience to be part of the first Paralympic Day in the heart of the French capital.”

“With more than 150 para athletes in attendance showcasing their sporting skills and some tremendous activations by the partners, Paralympic Day showed to the public that the Paris 2024 Paralympics will be Games Wide Open,” he said, referencing the recently announced Games’ motto.

The event was co-organized by the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the Ministry of Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) and the City of Paris.

Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet stated, “it was a pleasure to bring the public together today in Paris for the first Paralympic Day.” “In the build up to 2024, we will continue to put these amazing athletes in the spotlight to build passion for para sports in the hearts of the French people,”

“This day reinforces my conviction that there will be a before and after 2024 for para sport and wider disability issues in France.”

“A whole generation will be impacted by the Paralympic Games,” predicted the Frenchman.

His thoughts were echoed by Marie-Amélie Lefur, President of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee. She asserted, “we are at a turning point in our history! Such commitment from so many stakeholders around an event solely dedicated to the Paralympics is a first.”

“Our movement is now being watched, enjoyed and supported, and this is a strong message two years before the Paralympic Games,” noted Lefur. “I am convinced that Paralympic Day will not just be a temporary event but will find its place in the calendar of major events.”

One person who may be able to make Lefur’s vision a reality is Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. She spoke highly of the para-sport celebration, while casting an eye towards the future.

“This day marks a key moment in the countdown to the Paris 2024 Games, which will give concrete expression to the commitments of a city that has been completely transformed: more beautiful, more pleasant and more accessible.”

Paris will host the Paralympic Games for the first time in 2024. The French capital has thrice held the Olympic Games, but never its para-sport counterpart. Paralympic officials will be hoping Saturday’s hors d’oeuvre left Parisians hungry for even more para-sport.

The 2024 Paralympic Games will open on August 28, 2024.