Re posted from www.metroblenznewssquad.com

By @MoniKanada

After all the buzzing excitement and fun we’ve had during the Olympics, Vancouver has come to a state of content exhaustion, just like nature after giving birth to a raging thunderstorm or a heavy rainfall. I personally feel this way, too: Calm and exhausted, yet utterly content for having been part of something meaningful that has provided joy and inspiration to so many people.

Do you feel a bit empty and abandoned, too? I sure do. Where is everybody? The city seems so empty. Many of the special venues and sites have been dismantled, and all our cheerful friends are gone. For all of us that are suffering from POA (post-Olympic abandonment) here is the good news: Apparently, we don’t have to wait very long before we will see more friendly guests here in Vancouver and Whistler who want to celebrate with us!

YVR Airport has already started to provide a warm welcome to the first Paralympic athletes, their officials and spectators. We are expecting approximately 1,350 athletes and officials from 40 countries and 44,000 spectators in Vancouver and Whistler to celebrate outstanding athletic achievements, true passion for sport, and the greatness of human spirit and all it makes possible.

Are you ready for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12-21? Today, three days after the Olympic Flame is extinguished in Vancouver, a new flame will light in Ottawa, sparking the official start and inspirational journey of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay. And in just 10 days, on March 12, her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of , will officially open the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games at BC Place in downtown Vancouver.

Now that we are on the radar of the world in such a positive light, can we prove that Canada is a country where the Paralympics are supported and celebrated as enthusiastically as their big brother, the Olympic Games? Do we have it in us to be ambassadors for the true meaning of the word “Paralympic”, which is “alongside the Olympics”?

I realise there will be less athletes and spectators, less entertainment, less disciplines for athletes to compete in etc. The Paralympics will run on a much smaller scale, at least on the outside. However, on the inside, where courage, determination, passion and persistence live, the Paralympics might actually outshine the Olympics when it comes to the extent of inspiration and valuable lessons they will offer to all that are open to see.

I challenge us to do our part and create a welcoming, joyful and supportive environment for all athletes and guests of our Paralympic Games. Don’t put those red clothes, the mittens and the Canada flags away quite yet. Let’s take some of that newly gained Canadian spirit and paint Vancouver and Whistler red again, and let’s have some more fun – we know how to do that now! Go Canada Go!

Related Posts: Vancouver Olympics done. Paralympics here we come!

Monika Becker is the owner of Clear Directions – Consulting & Life Coaching in Vancouver BC, where she assists her clients in articulating and achieving important life goals with caring clarity, passion for possibility and soul-infused service. One of her specialties is the work with female start-up and seasoned entrepreneurs that are open to a holistic approach to business and life. For more information please visit www.ClearDirections.tel