Irish Examiner view: Take pride in our paralympians

Inspirational victories in Tokyo

Ellen Keane celebrates winning a gold medal for Ireland in the 100m breaststroke final. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Even if there are growing questions around the viability of the Olympic Games and the capacity of what might be called normal societies to run the huge financial risk of hosting them, the games have a romance and a capacity to encourage optimism that few other events can match.

The gold medal success of West Cork’s oarsmen Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan, and bronze medal winner Emily Hegarty too, at the $15.4bn Tokyo games inspired and brought great joy to the country. 

That joy was informed by some realisation of the challenges and sacrifices involved.

This week another Irish athlete won a Tokyo medal. Paralympic swimmer Ellen Keane took gold in a breaststroke final. 

Speaking after her win, her father Eddie said: “That’s her aim in life really, to get out there and say it doesn’t matter what’s wrong with you, get out there and enjoy life and do what you want to do. She’s done what she wanted to do today.” 

As inspiration goes, as an example of how to overcome life’s often unfair challenges goes, it doesn’t get much better than that.