Nine-times gold medalist Lee Pearson has spoken out about the current format of the Paralympics, claiming that the event should be held before the Olympics, and not as an after thought.

More respect

“I think it would be good to rotate which one went first, so it’s not perceived that one event is better than the other,” Lee told H&C.

There has been a lot of discussion over the past eight years about combining the Olympics with the Paralympics, which Lee was all in favour of. However, the logistics and costs involved have proved too much, which is why Lee came up with his idea.

Despite wanting to move the Paralympics to a higher profile position, Lee feels that disabled athletes receive more respect today than they ever have, and he holds the UK media largely responsible.

“Britain is getting better at equality and giving everyone an opportunity to prove themselves,” he says. “When I got back from Sydney there was a few weeks interest, after Athens there was a few months, and since Beijing I’ve had non-stop interest from the media and potential sponsors.”

Feeling the pressure

Lee is only too aware that his story of triumph over adversity makes him very marketable, and says he is quite happy to keep riding the wave. “We’ve got an extra story to tell because of our disability,” he states. “People appreciate what we go through in everyday life, never mind in sport and that means we are a good marketing asset.”

Despite the support he receives from his sponsors, and the general public, Lee is still looking for a second top horse. Gentleman, with whom he won three golds at Beijing, is still his main contender for the London Paralympics but, according Lee, he can be quite inconsistent.

“There is loads of pressure on me as I’ve got a 100 percent track record at the Paralympics, so I'm pretty nervous,” he says. “But we all know what horses are like, so I’ll just do my best. That’s all I can do.”