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o m m u n i t i e s
and London, I decided to become a volun-
teer at the games so as to escape from the
media negativity prior to the commence-
ment of the event. After hundreds of people
were interviewed, I was informed that I had
been chosen to participate in the opening
of the Paralympics.
From criticism to national fervour
The entire country was tense during the first
days of the games until the GB Team won
their first gold medal. The country and the
media were obsessed with the first gold
medal which placed the United Kingdom
right behind the United States and China.
At the end, the country won 29 gold me-
dals in the Olympic Games and 34 in the
Paralympics.
Personally, and as a volunteer, the most
spectacular aspect was the excitement su-
rrounding the Paralympics. The first of this
sports event was organized in 1948 in the
United Kingdom, in the city of Stoke Man-
deville following the suggestion of a Ger-
man in 1939. To show his appreciation, he
decided to organize a sports event for the
veterans of the Second World War who su-
ffered from spinal cord injuries.
Preparations for a planetary event
The great sports event cost 9 billion pounds
sterling (approximately 12 billion Euros).
The Olympic park was built in Stratford,
East London, one of the city’s most disad-
vantage districts. The regeneration of this
area was of particular importance for Lon-
doners. Boris Johnson, our mayor, descri-
bed the refurbishment of this area as “the
greatest regeneration of the eastern part of
the city since the Middle Ages”.
Not all events, however, were held at the
Olympic Park. My favourite was the Horse
Guards Parade (the street leading up to
María Ramos, second from the left, with members of the Spanish Paralympics team.