The Paralympics and Rosh Hashana

The London 2012 Paralympics have finished and left indelible memories of incredible athletes reaching the summit of their fields and leaving us, well me anyway, frankly gobsmacked.

We were lucky enough to make it to the Olympic Park to see Aled Davies (amputee) win discus Gold in the Olympic Stadium and Josef Craig win the S7 400m freestyle Gold in the Aquatics Centre, where we were also privileged to see Josef receive his medal and to be part of an ecstatic crown singing the National Anthem.

In the Aquatics Centre it was one jaw-dropping performance after another.

In particular the S4 50m where a Chinese athlete with no arms and only one leg demolished the field to swim to victory and the S1 50m where the fact that any of the swimmers (all with paralysis in multiple limbs) finished at all was amazing enough let alone that they were all competing at an unbelievable standard.

We came away with our understanding changed of the limitations of the human body and spirit – simply put, there are none.

Little S was not with us at the Olympic Park (she was asleep!). Although she currently has no disabilities, she may grow up having to grapple with her own perceived and actual limitations. Given her ‘condition’, she may not be able to run as far or as fast as her brother or to bounce for as long as her sister or to play all the games that her friends play. But then again, given how fast we’ve seen Jonnie Peacock run with one leg and how far David Weir goes at top speed with none, this is really the wrong way to look at be thinking - Little S should be able to approach life without limits, without reduced expectations and without pity.

As Stephen Hawking said in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, ‘there should be no boundary to human endeavour’.

And, as we approach the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana, it’s a good time to consider how the sentiment of pushing back the boundaries of what we can achieve could apply to all of us and the limitations that we consciously or unconsciously place on ourselves.

Wishing everyone reading this a Shana Tova and a year ahead full of sweetness and joy.