‘Heartbroken’: Paralympian explains why she withdrew from Tokyo 2020

Becca Meyers, a deaf and blind American swimmer, has withdrawn from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games after she said the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) denied her request to bring her mother to serve as her Personal Care Assistant. She speaks with CNN's Brianna Keilar.

#NewDay #CNN #Olympics

40 comments

    1. Well Vince McMahon just had 3 WWE wrestling events, Smackdown, Monday night raw and a pay per view within 4 days in Texas with sellout crowds and I bet half of them will test positive for the virus in a few days.

    2. @KPepper L Only some of the participants gets paid. Most do it for the medals, for themself, their country or w/e. They have practiced for the majority of their life, and you only have so many years where you can stay competitive at highest lvl. Of that limited number of years, you also have to peak at the exact right moment. – Its not something you just cancel, especially not if you have been fully vaccinated alrdy – and really. its very limited how much economy there is in paralympics. Some participants pay for their own gear, some even their own food and travel.
      Its something they really want to do..

    3. MAGA morons on:
      Covid and masks: ”I’m not gonna let fear run my life.”
      Vaccines: ”Screw that, I’m scared.”

    1. That’s why I’m not watching it. I’ll just rather wait until 2024 if the global vaccinations improve if the fans are back.

  1. It’s honestly ridiculous they even had the Olympics this year. Why not just have the summer and winter in the same year (2022) for 1 year.

    1. Because that would put the billions of dollars that are at stake when it comes to the Olympics at risk.

    2. It made sense since Vaccine was available to everyone … then 1/2 of the public refused it.

    1. It’s not the Olympics that made the call of refusing her mother as an aid, it’s the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee that is missing the ball here.

  2. The way the IOC and the Olympics are, there should not be any reason for this years Olympics. CANCEL THE OLYMPICS!

    1. Why would they cancel the Olympics because someone has yet to realize that their mother won’t always be around and they need to learn to adapt.

  3. The entire world is just going to crap. This is so unfair to her, to other physically-challenged athletes. What a strong and courageous move on Becca’s part to stand up to the stupidity. Good on her.

  4. Is it that precisely or that she wanted to have her mom there and that was the system to make it possible…. and they chose to be heartless about it. If anyone knows if the Olympic team usually is able to accomodate parents, please join the discussion. I’m wondering why the mom wouldn’t just be there anyway. Does our country really ship these kids off to these competitions and expect their parents to afford it on their own?

    1. Her mom has been her certified care coach for the past 8 years. She was approved originally to go to the games and serve as her care giver as she has for almost a decade. They changed the rules due to Covid and disallowed the mother to attend. The idea that 1 person can handle 33 para-Olympic athletes for the entirety of the games is just lunacy. Especially given that 27 out of those 33 are blind, and half of those are both blind and deaf. It’s an impossible task to lay on one persons shoulders.

    2. The parents aren’t allowed this year due to Covid. But this particular athlete also needs an assistant and her mom has always been approved as her assistant for several years now, not just a mom.

  5. As painful as this decision is to not take part, it maybe a blessing in disguise as the decision to go ahead and allow the Tokyo Olympics in the current state of the pandemic is mind-boggling!!! This event should definitely have been delayed by another year.

  6. A Tough Decision. As Usual, The Olympic Committee shows it’s all about THEM.
    No Personal Assistant for you. Nothing like a little Compassion. Very Little. 🤏

  7. Becca and her mom’s situation is going to be the true storyline at the Paralympic Games. The winners of the swim competitions will forever have an asterisk attached to their medals. The media will constantly be questioning who would have won if Becca had been there. When I was a kid, the Olympics were a big deal. Since then, the stature of the events has become smaller and smaller every time they are held. Becca’s situation is really going to hasten that decline. By the way, I feel that mom is just as heartbroken if not more so than Becca.

  8. I’m so sorry your needs aren’t being met for you to be able to participate! Your gold in my book, take care!!! 💛

  9. Wow this is tough you can actually see the devastation in her face even talking about it right now🤔

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