Chantal Petitclerc's Olympic record exceeds that of Michael Phelps, but you probably haven't heard of her. Since 1992, Peticlerc, a Canadian track and field athlete, has won 21 medals, 14 of them gold. However, unlike America's golden boy and other Canadian medalists, she won't be getting any money for her amazing performance at the Beijing Games, nor can she dream about obtaining the same opportunities or exposure as these athletes. Why? Because Petitclerc is in a wheelchair.
Had she not been a disabled athlete, Petitclerc would have received $20,000 from the Canadian Olympic Committee for each gold medal that she won. The Canadian Paralympic Committee relies much more on federal support than the heavily sponsored COC and, as a result, Petitclerc did not receive any financial compensation for her performance. The COC received $8 million from the federal government this year, while the CPC received a meagre $2.1 million.
After her performance in Beijing, Petitclerc now has the most career wheelchair track and field medals. She broke two of her own world records, winning the 200 metres in 27.52 seconds, .77 seconds faster than the previous record, and winning the 800 metres in 1:45.19, 2.31 seconds faster than her previous world record. But despite another amazing performance, Petitclerc returned home with only the medals to show for it.
In a society that prides itself on giving equal rights and opportunities to everybody, there shouldn't be any distinction between Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They both train for many hours every day, they both want to be the best in their sport, they both make enormous sacrifices, and they both proudly represent the Canadian flag. Disabled athletes work as hard as able-bodied athletes, if not harder, because of their handicap. Because of the obstacles on their road to success, they deserve our support even more. Though she has every right to do so, Petitclerc has not voiced her concern or filed a complaint since the Paralympic Games.
2008 Woodie Awards
Be the first to comment on this story