Kevin Hosea, a 25-year-old, two-time Paralympic trials participant living with spina bifida is trying to find a way to get the 2010 Paralympic Games televised in the United States — a feat that has never before been accomplished.
Through a petition on petitiononline.com, Hosea has so far collected 3,257 signatures to send onto the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) before the Paralympic Games begin.
“The Paralympic Games are an international level sporting event that was created to parallel the Olympic Games and let people with physical disability showcase their athletic abilities,” the petition reads. “Not only are the Paralympics just as competitive as the Olympics but they would also be very educational for the general public because people would see just how much people with physical disabilities can achieve despite their disabilities.”
It’s a cause Hosea is passionate about and not just because he is a two-time Paralympic trials participant in swimming and track, but also because he has friends who share that passion and will compete at the Games.
“I know tons of people who have been to the Paralympics … I have a lot invested,” he told O&P Business News. “My life has pretty much been sports so the fact that the sports that I’ve [participated in] are not getting anywhere near equal coverage is kind of annoying to me.”
Hosea started the petition at the end of January and during the first few days it only received about 300 signatures. With the help of Facebook, it caught steam.
“It’s amazing how much it grew in one day,” he said. “I’m probably going to keep it open for another week or so. But then I need to close it off so I can send it off to USOC.”
