Paralympics 2010 Opening Ceremony

Author: Ian C. Langtree - View Credentials
Published: 13 Mar 2010 - Updated: 28 Oct 2026

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Overview - Related Content

Synopsis

Overview of the 2010 Canadian Paralympic Games opening ceremony in BC Place Stadium Vancouver British Columbia.

Overview

Overview of the 2010 Canadian Paralympic Games opening ceremony in BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Paralympics took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 12th 2010 in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 spectators.

The ceremony featured an address from Rick Hansen, a Canadian athlete and activist for people with spinal cord injuries, and a moving tribute to Canada's most famous athlete with a physical disability Terry Fox, a humanitarian who raised awareness for cancer with his Marathon of Hope, before losing his battle at age 22.

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean set the tone as she walked on stage holding hands with two children on either side. Then the stage became a sea of dancing children in the form of a maple leaf.

An estimated 1,350 athletes, coaches and officials from 44 countries, including 50 Americans entered BC Place Stadium. As the athletes came in some limped, others bore crutches. Some waved just one arm; others with visual impairments were led in by guides. Everyone smiled and many people present thought the Paralympic Games opening ceremony was better than the one for the 2010 Olympic Games.

The ceremony also featured six extreme athletes with physical disabilities, including American Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, performing tricks on bikes and in wheelchairs.

The Paralympics feature 64 events in five sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, wheelchair curling and sled hockey.

The Paralympic Games are not only a celebration of sport, but they are also a window into the indomitable spirit of men and women.

For those who can not be present at the Paralympics, Disabled World has provided information on Live Coverage and Replays of the 2010 Paralympic Games

Author Credentials: Ian C. Langtree is a writer, editor, and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, which he established in 2004 as one of the longest-running independent resources for disability news and information. Over more than two decades, he has written and edited thousands of articles on disability rights, health, accessibility, and assistive technology. Drawing on a global perspective shaped by extensive travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed advocate of the Social Model of Disability, the framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that focuses on removing societal barriers rather than on individual impairments. His writing is grounded in that framework and in a lasting commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.