Last updated at 09:45, Tuesday, 11 September 2012

BARROW’S born-and-bred Paralympic athlete has joined the event’s organisers in hailing a new era of public attitude towards disability sport.

As silence falls over the Olympic Stadium, tourists travel home and sports fans across the country mourn the end of one of the most memorable occasions in living memory, Paralympic organisers are measuring the effect the games have had on British culture.

Yesterday Lord Coe hailed the “seismic effect in shifting public attitudes” towards disability sports, claiming the games have changed public perception forever.

Barrow’s very own Paralympic athlete, Dean Miller, agrees.

He said: “There’s just so much interest.

“You look at Facebook, on Twitter, it’s all over the internet – people are really getting excited.

“We were in a bar on Saturday night watching Oscar’s (Pistorius) run, and the atmosphere in there – it was like watching Manchester United play Liverpool. I’ve never seen that kind of reaction for disability sport.

“I think as well, people are really stating to focus now on the elite of the sport. Rather than ‘this guy’s doing well considering he’s got a disability’, people are really starting to recognise Paralympians as athletes in their own right. And hopefully that will continue. Only time will tell but, looking at the way people have got behind these games, I think there will be a legacy. People are seeing disability sport in a totally different light.”

The games were brought to a close with a stunning climax last night with an incredible “festival of flame”, which featured “eccentric travellers”, a tribute to the armed forces and performances from musical superstars, including Coldplay, Jay-Z and Rihanna.

Mr Miller was one of thousands of athletes stood at the heart of the celebrations, which captured 11 days of excitement, emotion and triumph for Team GB.

After finishing seventh in the T37 cerebral palsy category 1,500m final last Monday night, the 23-year-old has spent a week watching from the stands as his friends and teammates battled for glory.

Of his Paralympic experience, he said: “It’s been amazing.

“Obviously, I was disappointed after my competition but, at the end of the day, it was an incredible experience.

“I was a bit gutted for the next 24 hours, but once you get back into the stadium and you’re shouting your teammates on, it just lifts you.

“And the atmosphere in there – that support when I stepped out on Monday night – I’ve never experienced anything like that before and I probably never will again.

“I’ll look back on this in a few years and know it was one of the best experiences of my life.”

* Dalton-raised Charlie Walker helped Great Britain's men sitting volleyball team to a pleasing 8th place in the Paralympics.

Overall in the 10-team tournament, GB secured a single victory – over Morocco in the group stages, to secure a quarter-final place – while suffering six defeats, and Walker was one of the stand-out performers for the team.

First published at 16:13, Monday, 10 September 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk