Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his very interesting question, which gives me the impression that he wants to emphasize the fact that paralympic athletes are athletes in their own right.
These athletes deserve respect and the means they need to achieve their dreams and make the most of their talent. As I said in my speech, Chantal Petitclerc is doing excellent work to build awareness among all stakeholders, including, of course, the government, as well as the sponsors and everyone else involved in sports, that these athletes are the real deal. What they do is every bit as remarkable as what athletes who participate in the regular Olympic Games do.
Perhaps the entire Olympic Movement should ask itself some questions about recognition for paralympic athletes. I hope that one day the movement will stop creating an artificial distinction between these two types of exceptional athletes.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that if you or I, who are not physically disabled, had to compete against a paralympic athlete, we would quickly be defeated. Like all athletes, these people train every day and do their best. These athletes must receive the recognition they deserve.