Paralympic Powerhouses 🏅
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Season 2: Episode 3 Description
In today’s episode: 🏅 Listen in for a round-up of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. 🏊🏾Correspondent Kenny Curtis shares the top Ten big moments. 🦴 In the news round-up: A HUGE triceratops and brand new baby elephants. 🐘 And test your competition knowledge in today's Trivia on the Ten. 🤔
Sources for the episode:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/02/weather/ida-northeast-flooding-thursday/index.html
Links
🌍 Learn more about the Paralympic Games https://www.paralympic.org/
🦴 See the picture of Big John, the biggest Triceratops skeleton ever found! http://www.cnn.com/style/article/dinosaur-auction-triceratops-intl-scli-scn/index.html
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TRANSCRIPT:
Bethany Van Delft 0:02
These amazing athletes break records and barriers. Who went home with the gold? Today we'll cover the best of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. I'm Bethany Van Delft, it’s September 7th, and this is The Ten News!
Various Voices 0:17
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Bethany Van Delft 0:25
For the past 12 days, athletes have been competing in Tokyo in this year's Paralympic Games. If you listened to our prepping for the Paralympics episode, you know all about the history of the games. Well, today, sports correspondent Kenny Curtis is back to give us a recap of the biggest moments from the competition.
Kenny Curtis 0:46
So what is a disability? Well, the dictionary defines it as, quote, a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities, end quote. In other words, folks have challenges that a lot of us never have to deal with. To get by in life with a disability is a big enough challenge. To excel in something like sports with a disability takes it to a whole nother level. That's one of the things we love about the Paralympic Games, these athletes have already overcome so much just to make it there. While it's sad to have to say goodbye to one of the world's biggest international sporting events, we did get to witness some amazing moments during the Paralympics. So, let's take a few minutes to highlight some of our favorite victories and moments from the past two weeks. Here are our top 10 moments from the 2020 Paralympic Games. Number 10. Susanna Rodriguez wins gold. You want to know what's impressive, being a doctor on the frontlines during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Want to know what's even more impressive? Taking a break from all that life-saving to go to the Paralympic Games and win the gold medal in the triathlon for Spain. Wow! Rodriguez was born with albinism, a genetic disorder that affects the skin, hair, and eyes, resulting in a serious eye impairment for Suzanna. She spent her entire life as the underdog. I think it's safe to say that she has proved once and for all that people with impairments can do just about anything. You go girl. Number nine, Afghanistan makes it to the Paralympics. In an act of international cooperation and unity, Afghanistan's Paralympic team was able to make it to the competition. Despite all the turmoil and terrible events happening in their home country. That's incredible. They were evacuated safely from Afghanistan and were able to secure a flight to Tokyo where they competed in Taekwondo and long jump.
Kenny Curtis 2:46
Yes. Number eight. Herbert Aceituno wins the first Paralympic medal for El Salvador. Athletes like Herbert Aceituno are what the Paralympics are all about. Born with Achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism, Aceituno is a person of short stature. His size caused him to be bullied throughout his life. What? Sports and powerlifting in particular gave him a place to fit in and belong, Aceituno used his perseverance and determination to earn the bronze medal in the 59-kilogram weightlifting competition. This is the first time El Salvador has ever won a Paralympic medal. Way to go. Number seven, a love story. Spectators were caught in a real-life love story when they witnessed a marriage proposal between Keula Nidreia Pereira Semedo a visually impaired Paralympic runner from Cape Verde and Antonio Vaz da Veiga. de Vega, her guide and partner. Vaz da Veiga proposed moments after the two crossed the finish line, and Semedo happily agreed. Number six Australia announces equal pay for Paralympians. Okay, this didn't happen in the sports arena. It's not an actual moment in the actual games, but the announcement from the Prime Minister stating that Australia's Paralympians would receive the same financial rewards as Olympians were incredibly inspiring. Australia won 80 medals in Tokyo, and the pride that its government feels for its Paralympic athletes is well deserved. Hopefully, it will motivate other countries to follow suit. Let's do this. Number five, a touching show of sportsmanship. One of the most heartwarming moments of the Paralympics occurred when Australian veteran Dylan Alcott embraced Neil's Vink after beating him in a nail-biting wheelchair tennis semifinal match. It's hard to convey the emotion displayed between the two competitors but their embrace showed just how powerful the Paralympics can be. It was a beautiful demonstration of sportsmanship and mentorship and it will go down as one of the most memorable moments of the Tokyo Paralympics. Number four, duct tape victory. When Peter Genyn arrived to compete in the Men's 100-meter T51 race, he was shocked to find his wheelchair in horrible condition. The chair had a bent frame, a broken compensator, and three flat tires. Are you kidding me? Although Genyn suspected foul play, he spent no time trying to find the culprit, and instead focused on fixing his chair to the best of his ability. Genyn and his team managed to repair the chair enough for him to compete, even though the frame was literally held together by duct tape. I guess the duct tape must have been a good luck charm, as Genyn went on to win the gold medal and set a new Paralympic record. Number three, Jessica Long is even better than the commercial. You probably recognize Jessica Long from last year's Superbowl commercial, where the adoption agency is telling her soon-to-be parents about Jessica's legs needing to be amputated. The commercial says that her life quote may be different, but it will be an amazing, end quote and there is no doubt that has been the case for Jessica Long. She's been to the Paralympics five times and has won 29 medals over the course of her career. She continued to be an inspiration during the Tokyo Games, winning a total of six medals. Nice. Number two, the US men's wheelchair basketball team defended the gold. On the last day of the Paralympics, the US managed to pull out a huge gold medal victory, the men's wheelchair basketball team beat Japan in a nail-biting 64 to 60 match that was determined in the final minutes.
Bethany Van Delft 6:46
Wow. The team had won the Golden Rio in 2016 and was determined to defend their title and although the victory is great for the US, a second-place finish isn't too shabby for the Cinderella story of the Japan team. Before this year, Japan's wheelchair basketball team had never competed in a medal match. This is the first time in Paralympic history that an Asian country has meddled in that event. Now we're talking. Number one, US women's volleyball sweeps gold. On the last day of the games. The US women's sitting volleyball team defended their title from Rio and won the gold medal against China for the second time in Paralympics history. Excellent. US women's volleyball dominated every facet of the sport winning golden indoor volleyball and beach volleyball as well. This Triple Crown sweep has never been done before. As Captain Katie Holloway said following the sitting volleyball victory, "women are strong women can do anything they put their mind to." So as you can see, it was a thrilling and exciting Paralympic Games. The United States ended up placing third overall with 104 medals in total, Great Britain finished second with 124 medals and China came in first with a whopping 207 medals. But regardless of the results, the Paralympian’s perseverance and determination are the true highlights of the past two weeks. They show that you actually can do anything with effort and hard work. The Paralympic Games prove that that old saying is 100% true. It isn't whether you win or lose, it really is how you play the game.
Bethany Van Delft 8:32
Thanks, Kenny. I'm so looking forward to seeing some of these athletes again in 2024 at the next Paralympic Games in Paris. That's right, Kathy. Now let's see what else is going on.
The remains of Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc in the northeast last week. The storm caused heavy rains that led to flooding in places like Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. In a span of one hour 3.15 inches of rain fell in New York City's Central Park that broke a record set really recently by Tropical Storm Enrique. The flooding was so bad that New York City's subway system was completely shut down. In dinosaur news, my favorite, the biggest Triceratops skeleton ever found went on sale for $1.4 million. This incredible fossil is called Big John and it was discovered in South Dakota. Big John is 66 million years old and his skeleton is more than 60% complete. Some scientists are upset that the skeleton will go to a private collector which will make it harder for experts to study it. Meanwhile, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka reported the birth of twin male elephants. This is the first time that elephants have been born in captivity in Sri Lanka since 1941. Last year, two elephants were born there in the wild. We are thrilled to report that both mom and her babies are doing great. Coming up next...
Sound Bit 10:29
What, what, what's the big idea?
Bethany Van Delft 10:32
Trivia on The Ten. Triathlons are a big part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They're a major test of endurance as competitors swim, bike, and run all in the same race. I could barely do those in separate races. For safety reasons, some gear regularly used by triathletes is banned from competition. Which of the following items is a no-go? Is it a) waterproof earbuds, b) a wetsuit or, c) a bike helmet?
Bethany Van Delft 11:11
Did you guess it? The answer is A! While many of the skateboarders in the Olympics were seen wearing earbuds to listen to their favorite tunes, in triathlons, the athletes are not allowed to have any of their senses blocked for safety reasons. And this was sort of a trick question since wetsuits can also end up on the band's list if the water temperature is too warm. Since the suits keep the swimmer insulated, they can overheat if used on a warm day and in water warmer than 84 degrees. Time's up! But, before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups. Thanks for listening to The Ten News. Look out for our new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and extras on Saturdays. You can go deeper into the day stories by visiting thetennews.com. The Ten News is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and is distributed by iHeartRadio. The Ten News creative team is still glued to the TV and includes Tracey Crooks, Pete Musto, Andrew Hall, and Nathalie Alonso. Kenny Curtis contributed to this episode. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Bethany Van Delft, and thanks for listening to The Ten News. Does anyone have like $1.4 million they can lend me? I would love to be the proud owner of Big John. I'd share him of course!
