From the first drum roll to the final flip of a wheelchair, We’re the Superhumans, Channel 4’s trailer for the Paralympic Games, shows exactly how much excitement you can generate if you cram the talent of 140 athletes, musicians and ordinary people with disabilities into three minutes of television. From a pilot steering a plane with her feet to a blind pianist, it’s a celebration of an extraordinary range of talent – all set to a jaunty swing soundtrack. And since it was first aired on Friday night, the advert has been seen by millions – with more than 23 million people watching it on Facebook alone.
It’s certainly an unconventional trailer for a big sporting event. The warm and affectionate tone is set by singer Tony Dee’s rendition of the Sammy Davies Jr track Yes I Can from his wheelchair, alongside a big band staffed entirely by musicians with disabilities. Along the way, we are shown a mother without arms changing her baby’s nappy with her feet, and an athlete without hands brushing his teeth.
The idea, explains Dan Brooke, who oversaw the ad for Channel 4, was not just to try something different from the wildly successful 2012 Paralympic trailer – which focused on the strength and speed of a few elite athletes – but also to help change attitudes to disability. “We wanted to say any disabled person can be a superhuman. You have everyday people doing amazing things. There are more disabled people in [this] one advert than in the whole history of British advertising altogether.”
One of the stars of the trailer is fencer Dimitri Coutya, who says the 2012 trailer and Games had a huge effect on him. “It made me so excited and proud at the way it promoted Paralympian sport. It inspired me to continue doing my fencing.” He says he is particularly proud of the way the new trailer foregrounds the talents of those involved, instead of their disabilities. And he hopes that, along with the Games themselves, it can reduce the stigma surrounding disabilities.
London 2012 Paralympian Sam Ruddock agrees that the advert has a powerful message. “There are all sorts of wonderful things in there to make you reassess what you can achieve with what you have. If we can do this, there is no reason anyone else can’t … it’s about a positive attitude.”
Alvin Law, drummer
Law is a Canadian thalidomide survivor who plays piano, trombone and drums – and is a motivational speaker. On his role in the Paralympic trailer, he said: “This is not about disability, this is about crazy talent and ability that we’ve all been blessed with.”
Bartek Ostalowski, racing driver
Ostalowski, from Poland, lost both his arms in a motorcycle accident in 2006. He uses his left foot to operate the steering wheel and his right foot for the pedals and changes gear by pushing a switch with his shoulder.
Jessica Cox, pilot
Cox is a motivational speaker from Arizona who became the first person to fly a plane using just her feet in 2008. She is also a dancer, holds a third-degree black belt in taekwondo and has a degree in psychology.
Ellie Simmonds, swimmer
Simmonds won her first Paralympic medal aged 13 in 2008. She won four at London 2012 and broke two world records. She was born with achondroplasia dwarfism.
Natalie Blake, powerlifter
Blake is competing in her fifth Paralympics in Rio 2016. She lifted a personal best of 98kg in Malaysia earlier this year.
Tony Dee, singer
Dee (real name Tony Doevendans) is from Queensland, Australia. He has spina bifida. He was discovered on YouTube by Channel 4, thanks to a video of him singing Come Fly With Me posted by his wife.
Hannah Cockroft,
wheelchair racer
Cockroft is the world record holder in 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m. She won two gold medals at London 2012. She had two cardiac arrests at birth that left her with deformities to her legs and feet.
Matthew Phillips, rock climber
Phillips, 15, is a member of the GB ParaClimbing Team. He was born missing his right arm below the elbow and started climbing seriously in 2014.
Aaron Fotheringham, wheelchair stuntman
Known as “Wheelz”, Fotheringham is a WCMX (wheelchair motorcross) athlete from Las Vegas. He has spina bifida.
Evan Ruggiero,
tap dancer
American dancer Rugierro’s right leg was amputated at age 19 after he contracted bone cancer. As soon as his false leg was fitted, he returned to tap dancing. Imran Rahman-Jones
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