The Wire

The Beijing Olympics will be one of the great world events next year. But people often forget about the Paralympics – an event full of equal endeavour and human spirit. For many athletes, simply qualifying for the games is a huge financial strain that gets limited support from the government. Tom Henderson spoke to Mel Leckie, Australia’s number 1 Handcyclist who is trying to raise enough money through busking to make it to Beijing, and Jason Hellwig, deputy CEO of the Australian Paralympic Committe.