When Whistler’s Matt Hallat finished his Paralympic super G race on Friday (March 19), he had to pass by multiple fenced pens for broadcast and print reporters to exit the finish zone. Though talking to media must surely be a pain sometimes, Hallat expressed excitement and hope for the future over the fact that there was anyone standing there at all.

“In Torino, this (media zone) just didn’t exist… There was the odd Italian reporter and (a couple of) Canadian reporters, but the fans weren’t the same, and the media and the attention and the national press were nowhere near the same. It’s pretty cool to see,” Hallat said.

“It’s so exciting and hopefully it’s a positive thing for our sport.”

Many of the elite athletes who put on the phenomenal displays of athleticism and competition that animated the 2010 Paralympics agreed with Hallat, saying they hope the attention generated around the Games will inspire more people with disabilities to get involved in sports, and more people in general to live active lives.

“Hopefully we can make more kids with disabilities aware, make a bigger pool of athletes in all sports, and then kind of build from there,” Hallat said.

The Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP), the thriving local conduit for connecting people with disabilities to a range of recreational sports opportunities, has already seen a surge of interest from aspiring athletes and media alike through the 2010 Paralympics.

“The level of exposure and interest in Paralympic sport was unprecedented and took everybody a little bit by surprise,” WASP Executive Director Chelsey Walker said on Sunday (March 21), sounding slightly tired after an incredibly busy 10 days.

Walker said officials knew there would be interest in the elite athletes, but more inquiries also flowed in about WASP and other ways individuals can get involved. WASP officials was interviewed for or mentioned in media outlets ranging from TV stations around Canada, China and Japan to the Sydney Morning Herald, Walker said.

Walker said WASP has seen an increase in interest from individuals interested in sports programs, as have similar sport organizations in other areas, some of which have also wanted to talk to WASP.

Walker also spent the Games period working on meetings about future funding, the potential for high-level sporting events in the Whistler area, the progress of adaptive snowboarding and sharing background and contacts for future events.

She said the next six months will be critical for WASP. While much of the attention to date has been focused on building the Games legacy, “as of tomorrow, we’re in legacy mode,” Walker said, marvelling at the sudden switch after years of planning.

After the Games, WASP and athletes of all levels stand to benefit from the development of the Whistler Athletes’ Centre, which will include a fully accessible high-performance centre with space for the new WASP headquarters as well as accessible accommodations for visiting athletes.

The success of athletes like ski racer Lauren Woolstencroft is “nothing but good news for adaptive sport in Canada,” Walker said. Young men and women inspired by her skills could call up a program like WASP and start their sports careers through recreational activities, and eventually they may work their way up to competitive levels, Walker added.