Disabled Athletes Defy an Unaccommodating City

Mr. Sergei Shilov is a paraolympian. He is one of the most celebrated in Russia. Unfortunately, not many people have heard his name despite all the medals he had won in the past olympics and other competitions. He lives in a city that does not think about accommodating handicaps. Mr. Shilov is paralyzed below the waist. Because there are no special ramps or elevators, it is nearly impossible just to leave his home. However, they managed to do a much better job than the main olympic squad, which is funded a great deal, whereas, the paralympians have to train in the local parkinig lot. There is some good news though. Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev decided to give the same amount of prize money to both olympians and paralympians. In addition, the Russians praised the paralympian team for brining 38 medals, while the main team brought only 3 medals. Therefore, many handicaps in Russia are trying out for the paralympics.