Hopes and Wishes for the Games

"The entire IPC Games Liaison Committee wishes the Paralympic Summer Games Sydney 2000 every success possible. We have worked very hard during the last years to ensure that the Paralympic athletes will have the best conditions to make these Games an unforgettable experience. Our work has touched many areas from transport and sports venues, for instance, to scheduling of events and accreditation. But the one and only goal of these efforts was to serve the Paralympic athletes and I sincerely hope that we will succeed in this endeavor."
François Terranova is IPC Vice-President, Games Liaison. Having studied sports and physical education, he is currently Acting General Inspector of the French Ministry of Youth and Sports. He was also previously Technical Officer of the French Federation Handisport and General Secretary of the 1992 Paralympic Winter Games Organizing Committee in Tignes-Albertville.

François Terranova

"For me, Sydney 2000 realizes a yet another step in the learning that has been going on every day since my amputation almost 19 years ago.
Sydney 2000 for me like many others is the biggest test of goal achievement I have set myself up for. About 30 to 40 cyclists will start the road race, but only one will win. I'm working on that person being me.
No matter what happens, I know even now that I will come away having given my absolute best in cycling and commitment.
To represent New Zealand is a great honor, but any pressure from this is minor compared to how I drive myself."
Mark Inglis (New Zealand) is a cyclist in the class LC3 for bilateral below-knee amputees. He won a gold medal in the road race at the 1999 Southern Cross Games in Sydney. This time round for the 2000 Paralympics, he will be competing in the road race and in the 1000m time trial.

"Superb location, sporting excellence and new world records will all be vital ingredients in the Sydney Paralympic Games. The Great Britain team has a distinguished Paralympic record and I have no doubts that the Union Jack will, again, be a central piece in the overall Paralympic jigsaw. I look forward to the healthy competition and elite sporting prowess that the Sydney Games will bring and hope that Great Britain will continue to contribute to the positive development of international Paralympic sport."
Helen Potter is Chef de Mission of the Great Britain Paralympic Delegation. Great Britain, considered the home of wheelchair sport, has had a long and consistent history of successes at the Paralympic Games.

Helen Potter

"It is of course our hope to go beyond barriers and win the gold, but the greater triumph will be winning the friendships of so many. Our wish is, that the experience gained shall benefit us in the Paralympics to come. Congratulations to all!"
Michael Barredo is President of the Philippine Sports Association of the Differently Abled (Philspada), the National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines. The Philippines did not compete at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympics, but will be participating at Sydney 2000.

"It is our hope that all American athletes, as well as those who compete against them, will remember and enjoy the thrill of the Sydney Paralympic Games as a competition opportunity of a lifetime. It is our lasting hope that the Paralympics of Sydney will represent to the world the possibilities that are attainable in the face of adversity and promote the physical accomplishments attainable by all."
Mark E. Shepherd, Sr. is Manager, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Disabled Sports Services. The US NPC fielded the team that won the highest number of gold medals at the previous Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta 1996.

Mark E. Shepherd

"The Sydney Paralympic Games will be the best ever in the history of our Movement, without doubt. They will also make history as, for the first time, every accredited athlete in the Village will have the opportunity to vote for the people who will represent them within the IPC structures. I wish every one of you the very best in Mind, Body and Spirit for these Games and may they remain in our hearts forever."
David McCrae is Chairperson, IPC Athletes Committee, and Athlete Representative to the IPC Executive Committee. He competed in volleyball at the Paralympic, World and European Games between 1979 and 1999. He was named Player of the Tournament at the World Championships in 1989 and 1990, and was a bronze medallist at the World Disabled Volleyball Championships in 1989. He is also a keen golfer and an international standard volleyball coach.

"Participating in the Sydney Games has been all along my dream. Not only do I wish to meet top athletes from all over the world, I am also determined to win medals. I shall improve myself and bring my skill to new heights."
Chun-lai Yu (Hong Kong, China) is a cerebral palsy athlete (CP6). She will be participating in the women's 100m, 200m and 400m track events at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

Chun-Lai Yu