Here come the Paralympics

Just as Olympics withdrawal is starting to set in for many of us, the 2012 Paralympics are getting underway. During the Olympic Games, fans around the world sent more than 150 million Tweets cheering for their athletes and teams. As we head into the Paralympics, Twitter will once again be the place to watch the competition unfold, as well as get closer to the extraordinary stories of the Paralympic athletes.

One of the breakout stars on the track (and on Twitter) during the Olympics was South African runner and double amputee Oscar Pistorius (@OscarPistorius), with more than 250,000 Tweets celebrating his accomplishment. Now he’s heading to the Paralympics, and giving his fellow sprinters an idea of what to train for:

Many other Paralympians are using Twitter to mark their journey to London. Track star Jarryd Wallace (@aleginfaith) tweeted a photo of a slight snag in his high-speed training:

Alana Nichols (@alananichols21), a member of the U.S. wheelchair basketball team, tells us exactly what it takes to get the group to London:

One the world’s fastest women, April Holmes (@AprilHolmes), has been tweeting about her journey to London. As she says, “I look at Twitter like it’s an extension of my leg.” Here she debuts the custom spikes she’ll be competing in:

And among her many fans is NBA superstar @Shaq:

As the Paralympians settle into Olympic Village, they’re tweeting about their excitement:

We can’t wait to see what this awesome group of athletes will share from tonight’s Opening Ceremony and throughout the ten day competition. To keep up with all the action, follow the official Paralympic Games (@Paralympic), the US team (@USParalympics) and the 94 tweeting team members on this list.

Posted by Karen Wickre (@kvox) 
Editorial Director