How can these Games make one woman so pathetic?

Ok, so here’s the thing - when it comes to such things as triumph over adversity (and the loss of pets), I’m really pathetic. I become a blubbering mess. When we were in Hong Kong last week, we walked past two British paralympians in wheelchairs and I SO wanted to ask them for a photo with my kids, but I didn’t dare because I knew I would burst into tears and embarrass everyone in earshot.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s not a shred of self-ingratiating pity in those burst-into tears. It’s just sheer and pristine admiration. Affection, awe and total respect for people who do whatever they want in life, even if they have no legs or can’t see. They push themselves beyond the limits most of us whinge and complain ad nauseum about on the way to the gym or in the moment before those happy endorphins kick in during a run.

I like exercise once I get into it (a bit like certain other things in life), but for the most part, it’s a bit agonising making the daily commitment to working this rear end on the treadmill. I have been known to pull excuses out of the nether-region stratosphere to kybosh a workout. Sore foot, aching back, headache, tired…

Oh, give me a break. If a man can run 5000 metres or score a soccer goal completely blind, then I can ignore a little fatigue and push past it without whining about it. Surely.

Hmmm. Don’t save your sporting admiration for me.

Save it for these Paralympians. Or the "Olympians you have when you’re not having full physical capacity"lympians. In my book – they are really one in the same. Really. How can you not shed a tear as you watch swimmers who are severely physically compromised, haul themselves into the deep end of a swimming pool and power through that water with no arms and do it faster than most of us ever could, even in our dreams?

I mean, come on! How could you not be completely moved by this?

How could it not affect your heart to see China's Wu Chunmiao, winner of the women’s 100m T11 (blind) sprint, remove her gold medal and gently drape it around the neck of her guide runner?

You’re crying now, aren’t you?

I so want my kids to see these Paralympic Games and so last night we took Ella (Riley opted out – “too rainy, mum”) to the Bird’s Nest to see these astounding athletes in action.

We saw an Australian arm amputee win the 200m sprint and a Chinese blind 5000m runner steal the gold in an amazing finish. The eruption of cheering around the Stadium is something we’ll never forget. We also enjoyed shotput, javelin, long jump and plenty of wheelchair racing and sprinting.

It was truly a breathtaking time and I would encourage all families to grab tickets and take the kids along to experience this very moving time in Beijing’s history. I promise it will be well worth the effort.

Tania McCartney