Paralympics

April 19th 2006

“Training for the 2012 Paralympics,” I said, then in steps of about a yard in length started to measure out the distance to the walking frame I’d just flung about thirty yards into the distance.

“Paralympics?” said the man of around my age who’d stopped to watch me.

“Throwing The Walking Frame,” I said. “It’s a new event. Apparently the host country can pick an entirely new event and we’ve chosen Throwing The Walking Frame. Just nudged out the Triple Hop, Hop and Hop for the one-legged I believe.”

I’d found the walking frame abandoned in the park a couple of minutes earlier. Don’t ask why someone would abandon a walking frame, I’ve no idea. Perhaps its owner had been suddenly cured by a faith healer and having no further need of its support had dramatically cast it away. Or maybe it hadn’t been abandoned at all, maybe it had been thrown away by someone who had taken delivery of a new, lighter, faster, carbon fibre, tungsten-tipped walking frame, I just don’t know. Anyway it was there.

Thankfully I still have a bit of the devil in me and when I saw the man approaching I thought I’d have a bit of a laugh, hence the walking frame throw above. The man watched as I picked up the walking frame and returned to the spot from which I’d thrown it. I threw it again. This time it went about a couple of yards farther.

“Farther this time,” the man observed, approvingly.

“Must be close to my PB that one,” I said, pleased with myself.

“Can anyone enter?”

“I suppose so. You have to have a walking frame.”

I retrieved the walking frame and made to throw it again.

“Can I have a go?” asked the man, now eager.

I handed him the walking frame. He drew his arm back and threw it a good five yards farther than I had.

“You’re a natural.” I said. “Why don’t you get a walking frame of your own and join me. There’s an individual competition and a four man team event, but we’d need another two for that. I train every morning at ten.“

He said he’ll be there tomorrow, prompt.

April 19th 2006

“Training for the 2012 Paralympics,” I said, then in steps of about a yard in length started to measure out the distance to the walking frame I’d just flung about thirty yards into the distance.

“Paralympics?” said the man of around my age who’d stopped to watch me.

“Throwing The Walking Frame,” I said. “It’s a new event. Apparently the host country can pick an entirely new event and we’ve chosen Throwing The Walking Frame. Just nudged out the Triple Hop, Hop and Hop for the one-legged I believe.”

I’d found the walking frame abandoned in the park a couple of minutes earlier. Don’t ask why someone would abandon a walking frame, I’ve no idea. Perhaps its owner had been suddenly cured by a faith healer and having no further need of its support had dramatically cast it away. Or maybe it hadn’t been abandoned at all, maybe it had been thrown away by someone who had taken delivery of a new, lighter, faster, carbon fibre, tungsten-tipped walking frame, I just don’t know. Anyway it was there.

Thankfully I still have a bit of the devil in me and when I saw the man approaching I thought I’d have a bit of a laugh, hence the walking frame throw above. The man watched as I picked up the walking frame and returned to the spot from which I’d thrown it. I threw it again. This time it went about a couple of yards farther.

“Farther this time,” the man observed, approvingly.

“Must be close to my PB that one,” I said, pleased with myself.

“Can anyone enter?”

“I suppose so. You have to have a walking frame.”

I retrieved the walking frame and made to throw it again.

“Can I have a go?” asked the man, now eager.

I handed him the walking frame. He drew his arm back and threw it a good five yards farther than I had.

“You’re a natural.” I said. “Why don’t you get a walking frame of your own and join me. There’s an individual competition and a four man team event, but we’d need another two for that. I train every morning at ten.“

He said he’ll be there tomorrow, prompt.