The Paralympics are tooling up with top secret technology to give Canada the edge. It turns out that while we are spending millions on technology to give us a bigger advantage the psychological edge maybe more important.

According to Top Secret manager Todd Allinger, they have tested the US teams Speedo suits in a wind tunnel, which confirmed our suits are faster giving the athletes greater confidence and that psychological edge mentioned earlier.

The Own the Podium program has invested $8 million into a five year program supporting 150 scienctists and researchers at 17 universities pursing 55 programs to produce the finest equipment for our athletes in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Where were these guys when I was ten, using shin pads with bamboo strips.

The sledge hockey team has new blades, the sit ski program has biomechanical engineering labs improving both speed and control. Does this mean we could set another record for gold metal wins. However, we are not the only ones investing in the newest and most evolutionary high tech equipment as Japan, Germany, the US and everyone else with a program are spending to gain an advantage.

The most important benefit is not the technology, but how we see the men and women driving towards success, while overcoming enormous obstacles. The original games started in the United Kingdom after the second world war created as recreation programs for veterans. Canada and the US soon followed. The first Paralympic games happened in 1960 during the Rome Olympics.

The growth in the games and the concentration of medical expertise in rehabilitation techniques has extended lives and the quality of life dramatically. If the games existed for no other reason than the enhancement of life it would be worth the investment, but I think we will see it for much more.

See you tomorrow,

David Hutchison   david@transitionsadvertising.com

David Hutchison is President of Transitions Advertising www.transitionsadvertising.com Canada’s creative voice of seniors advertising. David is Board President of Promoting a Culture of Peace for Children Society of BC www.wartoystopeaceart.com