大象传媒

MALE- Chers passagers, bienvenue 脿 la Gare du Nord.

EMMA- Bonjour. 脟a va? I am here in Paris for the 17th Summer Paralympic games and I cannot tell you how excited I am to be in this city. I鈥檝e never been here before. I鈥檓 hoping to catch up with some athletes; speak to Martin Dougan, 大象传媒 reporter about what he鈥檚 been doing for Newsround around the Paralympics; I鈥檓 hoping to go to swimming and see lots of our fabulous Team GB swimmers; and also catch up with some fans. It鈥檚 all going on and I cannot wait. Listen, if you鈥檝e been out at the Paralympics or if you just want to comment on today鈥檚 episode get in touch. You can email accessall@bbc.co.uk. Or if you鈥檙e listening on 5 Live please subscribe to us on 大象传媒 Sounds. Let鈥檚 get on with the show.

MUSIC- Theme music. 聽

EMMA- We have just managed to find Paralympics GB House. This is where it鈥檚 at. It鈥檚 where the athletes and their friends and family come to hang out, and it鈥檚 where all the British media are. And I鈥檝e just bumped into our friend Martin Dougan. No stranger to Access All. Martin, it鈥檚 lovely to have you here.聽

MARTIN- Thank you very much for having me back.聽

EMMA- So, Paralympics GB House what happens here?聽

MARTIN- This is the place basically where the athletes can come to relax, meet friends and family, because they鈥檙e invited to come here as well, and hopefully to celebrate winning a medal. So, this is the safe space that any athletes associated with Paralympics GB can come to. And it鈥檚 a brilliant, brilliant place. There are screens all over the place, there鈥檚 lots of chairs and sofas. And just behind us right now we鈥檝e got two studios, so we鈥檝e got the 大象传媒 studio that we operate out of. Every single morning we鈥檙e doing our live hits for the telly box. And then right next to us is where Channel 4 are situated, I think it鈥檚 where they do their More 4 stuff from during the Paralympics. So, it鈥檚 really exciting.聽

EMMA- And what have been the things that you鈥檝e been most interested in? What have you seen? What鈥檚 been happening that鈥檚 really got you excited?聽

MARTIN- Well, because basketball is my sport really if I was to pick one, because I used to play it, I went to see the basketball, I went to see the men and the women play for GB on the first day. So, that was really exciting. And the thing that excited me about that was there was a lot of talk before this Paralympic Games that maybe there weren鈥檛 enough spectators, there weren鈥檛 enough crowds going to be coming to watch live. And I think that happens before every Paralympic event to be honest. But I turned up and it was unbelievable. I think the decibels got to 130 one of the days during a basketball game. And I hear that, like, 60 is deafening.聽

EMMA- Right.聽

MARTIN- So, I think it鈥檚 gone really well. I went to the Stade de France as well. I didn鈥檛 manage to see any GB athletes that day, but even that was full. And I managed to watch visually impaired long jump that day, and I鈥檇 never been in a stadium before where the whole crowd had to shh. They go shh, and then it goes really quiet. And then you hear the assistant or the guides telling the long jumper when to run, where to go. And then when they jump on the sound everybody goes wahey! And does like this massive cheer. And I was like, this is one of the best things I鈥檝e ever witnessed. Even now covering Paralympic Games for the last 12 years I鈥檓 still learning new things and I鈥檓 still getting excited in seeing things for the first time. So, I feel like Paris is like London 2012 all over again.聽

EMMA- How have you found the accessibility? Because there鈥檚 been so much talk about how tricky Paris is to get around. And you鈥檙e a wheelchair user, what have you found?聽

MARTIN- Actually before the Paralympic Games, Paris was never somewhere that I would have chosen to visit because I鈥檝e heard through other people in similar situations to myself that it鈥檚 just not an accessible city to get around; it鈥檚 expensive if you do because you can鈥檛 use any of the Metro here or whatever, and everything is quite far. When you get in a cab really, which I鈥檝e been doing quite a lot, everything is 25 minutes away, that鈥檚 how it feels. I tried to use the Metro a few times and I鈥檝e only got as far as the lift, if they have a lift. I鈥檝e never actually been able to get on a platform.聽

EMMA- Right.聽

MARTIN- Because either it doesn鈥檛 have a lift at all, or you get in the lift and it doesn鈥檛 go to the platform that you need [laughs].聽

EMMA- Wow.

MARTIN- So, I鈥檓 really lucky in the sense that because I鈥檓 here in a work capacity that the 大象传媒 are looking after me and they鈥檙e making sure that I can get around to wherever I need to get to using a taxi company. But if I was here as a tourist as somebody in the wheelchair then I don鈥檛 think it would be a very nice experience for me.聽

EMMA- They put a bit asphalt on the Champs-脡lys茅es for the opening ceremony. Have you given that a whirl?

MARTIN- No, I haven鈥檛 actually been near that, which is really mad. Emma, I鈥檓 going to just tell you, I鈥檝e been here at GB House what seems like forever because we planted ourselves here and then we鈥檝e felt like this is the place to be to get all the athletes and get all the reaction to the sport and the wins.聽

EMMA- Okay. Maybe before you go home you can do it because it鈥檒l be cobbles by the time you come back, because they鈥檙e not leaving it there, they鈥檙e going to take it up afterwards. So, we鈥檙e going to be here for the next few days. We鈥檙e very excited. We鈥檙e going to see some swimming, some athletics. What should we be looking out for? What are you excited about in the next few days?聽

MARTIN- Well, the basketball. Obviously I鈥檓 biased that way. I just always constantly talk about the basketball, you know that. But the athletics is picking up quite a lot. No one in particular for Paralympics GB that I would highlight. But I just think when it comes to athletics the way that I describe them they鈥檙e like the show people, aren鈥檛 they?聽

EMMA- Yeah.

MARTIN- It鈥檚 like they鈥檙e the glamorous ones.聽

EMMA- With their blades and their鈥�

MARTIN- Yeah. They鈥檙e in the Stade de France, it鈥檚 like an iconic world-renowned stadium unlike any other, and all of a sudden they鈥檙e all in there sprinting 100m in so many seconds and doing their thing.聽

EMMA- There鈥檚 a guy who鈥檚 doing the long jump on blades and he鈥檚 not allowed to do the Paralympics because he jumps too far.

MARTIN- Yeah, he鈥檚 too good.聽

EMMA- He鈥檚 too good.聽

MARTIN- Is it because of his blade though?聽

EMMA- Well, they say it is. But I would like to think it鈥檚 because of his talent.聽

MARTIN- I know that debate has happened quite a lot with other athletes in the past where there鈥檚 been that debate, even with sprinters and runners when it comes to Paralympic sport. There鈥檚 always been a kind of quiet sort of mumblings going around about whether blades give鈥β�

EMMA- Hmm.

MARTIN- But do you know what I鈥檝e never understood? I鈥檝e never understood how someone can turn round and say that someone with no legs has got an advantage by having鈥�

EMMA- A manmade鈥�

MARTIN- 鈥�yeah, a manmade system that helps them do it and a piece of equipment that helps them do it. How does that work?聽

EMMA- I mean, I鈥檓 here for the drama, this is basically why I鈥檓 here is for these debates and people getting het up about different aspects of the Paralympics. So, I鈥檒l be trying to listen out for all the gossip. And will you keep me informed, Martin?聽

MARTIN- I鈥檒l keep you well informed, absolutely no problem. I鈥檓 going to be here. I鈥檓 quite easy to find when I鈥檓 in Paris.聽

EMMA- You鈥檙e just up here all the time on the roof.

MARTIN- [Laughs] even though it鈥檚 a big city you鈥檒l just find Martin on the roof of Paralympics GB House.聽

EMMA- It鈥檚 because he can鈥檛 get anywhere else basically.聽

MARTIN- It鈥檚 because I鈥檓 just trying to make pals with all the athletes, and they keep ignoring me [laughs].聽

EMMA- Oh no. I was going to say, who鈥檚 been your best pal athlete so far?聽

MARTIN- I mean, obviously this Paralympics Games for me is exciting because you鈥檝e got your well-known poster faces when it comes from 2012, like your Johnny Peacock鈥檚, Hannah Cockroft鈥檚, those types of names. But there鈥檚 a whole new wave of Paralympic athletes coming.聽

EMMA- That鈥檚 fantastic!

MARTIN- And there鈥檚 no surprise that we鈥檙e sitting second in the medal table after a week practically. And what we鈥檝e done is, I don鈥檛 know whether we鈥檝e overachieved, but I think everybody here at Paralympics GB House is absolutely delighted because what these new athletes have done is they鈥檝e stepped up to the plate, and the older experienced ones have also done their bit as well. And we鈥檝e also got plenty of days to go until it鈥檚 finished, so watch this space.聽

EMMA- Now, we鈥檙e hoping to go and see an event tonight, Martin.聽

MARTIN- Oh, exciting!

EMMA- Very exciting. What would you recommend we go and see?聽

MARTIN- Swimming. Swimming is like, if you think about the two big sports at the Paralympic Games it鈥檚 swimming and cycling. They鈥檙e the ones that bring the most medals. And actually if you want a diverse range when it comes to learning how amazing disabled sportspeople are then swimming is the place to go, because there鈥檚 a whole range of different classifications.聽

EMMA- So many classifications!

MARTIN- Yeah, it鈥檚 hard to keep up with. And of course we do pretty well in the medals so you鈥檙e in with a good chance of actually seeing maybe a record being broken, somebody winning a medal. You know, it鈥檚 pretty good. And actually I鈥檝e heard that the swimming arena that the atmosphere there is pretty incredible, so that鈥檒l be a good night for you. Good sport to start things off with I鈥檇 say.聽

MUSIC-

EMMA- After I spoke to Martin I got so excited and I absolutely dashed across Paris to the swimming at La D茅fense arena. And I bumped into a big Irish contingent so I had a bit of a chat with them, and they were over to see some friends of theirs who were going for some medals.聽

Hi, you鈥檙e here for the swimming. We鈥檙e all lining up to get in. What made you come to the swimming?聽

FEMALE- We have two very good friends, Nicole Turner and Dearbhaile Brady competing today. We came to their heat this morning and now we鈥檙e here for their final. Luckily they both made it to the final.聽

EMMA- Brilliant.聽

FEMALE- And so we鈥檙e here to support them.聽

EMMA- And what classifications are they?聽

FEMALE- S6.聽

EMMA- How do you know each other?聽

FEMALE- Well, myself, Aoife, Ellen and Yvonne are all part of an organisation called Little People of Ireland, and that鈥檚 how we know Nicole and Dearbhaile. And then the other three are family.聽

EMMA- Lovely. Well, good luck to Nicole and Dearbhaile today and enjoy the swimming.聽

FEMALE- Thank you very much.聽

EMMA- [Cheers and applause] I鈥檝e just come out of the swimming at La D茅fense arena. Everyone鈥檚 kind of milling around, heading home, and honestly, what a buzz. There were so many Team GB athletes in there, and it was so exciting and so thrilling to see Callie-Ann Warrington and Faye Rogers get their medals. Very loud voices, we screamed and shouted. Tell you what though, when the French were swimming the place erupted. I mean, ears ringing loud. It was such a great night. I鈥檓 still buzzing, and I cannot wait for what the rest of my time at the Paralympics has in store for me.聽

MUSIC-

EMMA- Do you remember those Irish fans that I met on then way into the swimming event? They were there to support Nicole and Dearbhaile. Now, Dearbhaile and Nicole didn鈥檛 get medals, but one of the absolute highlights of the evening was seeing Faye Rogers and Callie-Ann Warrington win Gold and Silver respectively in swimming. It was so joyful, we shouted very, very loud indeed. And do you know what? I was really lucky because I got to speak to Callie-Ann Warrington at Paralympics GB House. And I started by asking her how she feels after winning her first Silver medal at the Paralympics:

CALLIE-ANN- I鈥檓 struggling with words [laughs] to describe it, but I haven鈥檛 stopped smiling, and it鈥檚 not properly sunk in yet.聽

EMMA- And it鈥檚 your first medal?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yes, my first Paralympic Games, my first Paralympic medal. I only had a European Gold. But yeah, this beats anything.聽

EMMA- Amazing. And have you been swimming since you were young?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yes. So, mum and dad took me at 16 weeks old. Mum wanted me to learn to swim because she never learnt to swim. And then mum and dad just shared the responsibility on lessons. I joined a swimming club when I was seven, started competing and I found my love for the sport.聽

EMMA- Wow. Did you ever think you鈥檇 end up here?聽

CALLIE-ANN- No. My big dream was the Olympics when I was younger. I didn鈥檛 really think about the Paralympics because I didn鈥檛 see myself as disabled. I had a lot of struggles growing up with the left side of my body, but we didn鈥檛 think anything of it. It wasn鈥檛 until the pandemic that I sought an official diagnosis, because I got back in the pool and I couldn鈥檛 use my left leg at all; it just, it was there, it existed. And that panicked me a lot, until I got given a diagnosis. And yeah, I鈥檓 now here. It鈥檚 been a bit crazy few years for me, yeah.聽

EMMA- Is it okay to ask what they found out?聽

CALLIE-ANN- So, at the moment it is diagnosed as similar to cerebral palsy. I鈥檓 going through another set of tests to try and determine the cause. So, it affects the left side of my body. The majority of the issues are my left leg, but I have muscle spasms, and it can also affect my left arm as well if I鈥檓 tired, and my speech will deteriorate when I鈥檓 tired as well.聽

EMMA- And has it changed as you鈥檝e got older then?聽

CALLIE-ANN- I wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 changed as much. I have noticed it more, but I wouldn鈥檛 say that things have changed on it. Obviously the pandemic with the swimming didn鈥檛 help; we weren鈥檛 allowed to get in the pools.聽

EMMA- Right, so your leg kind of gave up the ghost a little bit?

CALLIE-ANN- Yes, exactly that. I had obviously been training so hard up until the pandemic, and we hadn鈥檛 realised that it was the training that was keeping my leg muscles going. And stopping that training I literally lost the ability to use it. My walking deteriorated quite a lot and I was in quite a bit of pain as well.聽

EMMA- And what鈥檚 it like entering this Paralympic community really and the disability sport community when you didn鈥檛 see yourself as disabled until then?聽

CALLIE-ANN- It鈥檚 been a little bit difficult to accept. A lot of people will go, well you鈥檙e disabled. I am now proud to say that. It did take me a little while. But the Para scene is just absolutely phenomenal. Everyone gets on with everyone. And I was saying earlier that as soon as you walk through that gate judgement just leaves; we鈥檙e all the same. And it just feels like a massive weight off our shoulders. Normally when you鈥檙e walking down the street you鈥檒l get people stare and ask questions and things like that, but in the Paralympic Village we鈥檙e all in the same boat, and it鈥檚 just absolutely amazing to have that feeling.

EMMA- Yeah, that鈥檚 so interesting to hear from someone who鈥檚 only just joined really, absolutely. And winning a Silver medal so quickly.聽

CALLIE-ANN- I know [laughs].聽

EMMA- It鈥檚 absolutely incredible, incredible.聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yeah.聽

EMMA- And they鈥檙e so heavy, aren鈥檛 they?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yeah. Would you like to feel?聽

EMMA- Oh, I would feel all the medals on all day.聽

CALLIE-ANN- And it鈥檚 got braille on as well.聽

EMMA- I know, I鈥檓 so鈥� Oh my goodness, it鈥檚 so heavy!

CALLIE-ANN- [Laughs]

EMMA- You鈥檙e not expecting it to be so heavy. Oh my goodness. So, what are you going to do now for the rest of the Games?聽

CALLIE-ANN- I鈥檓 probably going to try and watch some more sport. I鈥檇 like to go and watch the wheelchair fencing, and I鈥檓 going to see if any of the VI sports are still going. 聽

EMMA- Like the goalball or the blind football?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yeah. Because I believe Eliza Humphrey has now finished her racing so it would be lovely to take her. There鈥檚 a few of us that have been doing a lot of audio commentary for both girls. We鈥檙e getting better at it, and I think this Games has been pretty good for us to learn how to do it all.聽

EMMA- I tell you what, Callie-Ann, could you come with me now to the athletics tonight?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Oh yes.聽

EMMA- And could you be my audio commentator?聽

CALLIE-ANN- I could give it a good shot [laughs].聽

EMMA- I had an absolutely brilliant time at the swimming. My only slight thing was that I had no audio commentary.聽

CALLIE-ANN- Ah!

EMMA- I couldn鈥檛 figure out how to get a stream of the exact swimming on my phone, so I was asking bits and pieces of the people around me. But I did feel like I could do with someone like you sitting in my ear telling me all the things. So, if you can come with me tonight that would be awesome.聽

CALLIE-ANN- If I could get out that would be very good [laughs].聽

EMMA- And have you got family and people here supporting you?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yes, so in a bit I will go and say hello to my family because they are currently downstairs.聽

EMMA- Ah.聽

CALLIE-ANN- It鈥檒l be lovely to see them all again. They go home today.聽

EMMA- And how proud were they of you last night, like all you鈥檝e been through in the last couple of years?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Oh, I think there were probably some tears shed last night. I was able to see them directly after getting my medal to give them a hug, because they were standing behind the podium. And that was just lovely.聽

EMMA- Yeah. A new era for you.聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yes, definitely.

EMMA- How has the runup been to the Paralympics? Has it been tough going?聽

CALLIE-ANN- It鈥檚 been tough going. I鈥檝e been working full time up until July, as well as training full time. And then I鈥檝e been able to take time off work, go into training camp, had British Summer Champs, and then came out to Paris.聽

EMMA- What do you do?聽

CALLIE-ANN- I鈥檓 a radiographer.聽

EMMA- Really?

CALLIE-ANN- So, I take X-rays for a living.聽

EMMA- Are there many Paralympians who do work as well?聽

CALLIE-ANN- Yeah, there will be a lot of us. Although we get funding from the National Lottery it鈥檚 still not compared to what it would be working full time, so some of us have to work full time in order to keep going, as well as our National Lottery funding as well.聽

EMMA- And will you go back full time?聽

CALLIE-ANN- No.聽

EMMA- No [laughs].聽

CALLIE-ANN- Because of the funding I鈥檝e been able to drop to part time. If my funding does increase then I鈥檒l be able to completely drop to ad-hoc and go onto bank and work when I want to work, which means I can focus more on my swimming and get more training in.聽

EMMA- And where are you going to put that Silver medal?聽

CALLIE-ANN- I鈥檝e had this question already today, and I couldn鈥檛 decide between the hallway or the living room so I can see it every single day.聽

EMMA- Ah, nice.聽

CALLIE-ANN- So, it鈥檚 going to be hung up.聽

EMMA- Brilliant.聽

MUSIC-

EMMA- [Cheers, applause and bell ringing] we鈥檝e come downstairs in Paralympics GB House because they have a ceremony where everyone who鈥檚 won a medal can ring a bell. And then they put a paper version of their medal onto a victory board. So, there are flags being given out, there are some streamers, everyone鈥檚 congregating and getting excited, so let鈥檚 hear it: [More cheers, applause and bell ringing].聽

Well, what a busy, ridiculous 24 hours that has been in Paris. And that is it for the first episode. We鈥檝e chatted to athletes; we鈥檝e spoken to Martin Dougan; we鈥檝e been to the swimming; we鈥檝e spoken to fans. It has been an absolute whirlwind. And there is more to come. Stay tuned in the next couple of days because there are still 24 hours to go for us here in Paris. If you cannot get enough of Paralympics between this and then you could check out The Next Paralympians, it鈥檚 on the Documentary podcast on 大象传媒 Sounds. And it follows some of the people representing their country for the first time in the intellectual impairment category.聽

Get in touch with us, let us know what you think of all this Paralympic stuff or anything else. You can email us accessall@bbc.co.uk, and we are 大象传媒AccessAll on the socials. Subscribe to us on 大象传媒 Sounds. And we鈥檒l talk to you very, very soon. See you soon. Bye. [Cheers, applause and bell ringing].