Let the Games Begin

Having unexpectedly come 4th in Beijing, to do even better at London meant defeating 1 of 3 sporting superpowers: the USA, China and Russia. The London 2012 organisers face cynics foretelling international embarrassment so athletes would have to put in the performances of their lives. To boost our chances, the Sporting Giants programme sought to expand our pool of potential medal winners by turning amateurs into elite competitors. With so much money on the line, the scrutiny seemed prudent, but at what cost to the athletes who struggled under the immense pressure? With the eyes of the world on London, 2012 would be a milestone year for the Paralympics – a chance to transform the perception of Paralympians as elite athletes and to demonstrate how far the movement had come since the empty stands at Atlanta 16 years earlier. This film tells the story of the lengths we went to in search of Olympic glory, and the costs, paid in personal sacrifice, that made the gold rush possible.