First lady Wu Shu-jen (
Wu, in her capacity as the head of Taiwan's delegation to the Paralympic Games, said yesterday that she hopes the trip will help direct the Taiwanese public's attention to the nation's disadvantaged groups.
"I myself am physically challenged," said Wu, who is paralyzed from the waist down after being hit by a truck in an assassination attempt in 1985.
"I agreed to head the delegation to the Paralympic Games because I hope, through my involvement in the event and my influence as the first lady, that I can help draw the Taiwanese people's attention to the Paralympic Games and get a better understanding of it," Wu said at CKS International Airport prior to boarding a chartered flight.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was at the airport to see off his wife, but he didn't make any public speech. Other government officials joining the president at the airport included Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Foreign Minister Mark Chen (陳唐山) and Huang Ta-chou (黃大洲), President of Taiwan's National Olympic Committee.
After it was previously mentioned that she suffers from hemorrhoids, Wu yesterday admitted that the long journey would be a strain on her physical condition as well as that of the participating athletes.
The nation's delegation consists of 25 athletes accompanied by physicians, coaches and therapists. The group is slated to arrive in Athens five days prior to the games, which will be held from Friday to Sept. 28.
The Paralympic Games are the Olympics for athletes with disabilities. The Paralympic Games are usually held in the same year and at the same venue as the regular Olympic Games.
About 4,000 athletes and 2,000 officials from 145 countries will take part in the games.
Given that Deng Pufang (
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