Roger McCarville’s birthday this year was a memorable one.
On Sept. 15, the day he turned 72, he was poolside at the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, taking in swimming events. The moment was made sweeter when he received a kiss on the cheek from a young Czechoslovakian woman who won a gold medal in shooting.
The day was part of an unforgettable week as McCarville, the host of the PBS show ‘Disabilities Today,? taped the games with three show crewmembers and traveled to major tourist attractions in China to show how the sights are handicap-accessible.
‘It was awesome,? said McCarville, a Brandon Township resident who became disabled when his legs were severed in a boating accident more than 30 years ago. ‘The athletes were fantastic and the countries got together with no problems and everyone got along. It was a phenomenal trip and I would recommend to anyone if you get a chance for a vacation, go see the Forbidden City and the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square.?
McCarville left Detroit on Sept. 10, flying to Tokyo for a connecting flight to Beijing. The trip took about 16 hours.
The crew from ‘Disabilities Today? was the only U.S. broadcast team there, McCarville said. The PBS team taped swimming, track and field, table tennis, and basketball events. They followed Michigan swimmer Cheryl Angelleli, 40, who won two silver medals, in the 50m and 100m freestyle races.
McCarville was delighted with Angelleli’s performances, which resulted in the first medals for the U.S., and was also happy to see the U.S. women win the gold medal in basketball. The men’s team did not fare as well, getting fourth place in basketball.
‘The blind running in the field events was amazing, and the swimming was really good and I love the basketball,? McCarville said. ‘I had some interviews with the Americans, but I will interview them more now when they’re home.?
McCarville was impressed with the Bird’s Nest, the stadium where track and field events took place, calling it a ‘beautiful architectural structure.?
He was also amazed by the Chinese people, noting there were 1.5 million volunteers for both the Olympics and Paralympic Games.
‘The people were super nice and couldn’t have treated us better,? he said. ‘I just can’t get over the people. I didn’t know what to expect and couldn’t have found more hospitality, and so many spoke English and wanted to help.?
He adds that he didn’t see one Chinese person that was overweight and laughed that it must be the rice, which he loved? or maybe, he speculates, it’s all the walking and bike-riding.
‘There were a lot of people still riding World War II bikes,? McCarville said. Other modes of transportation he noticed were trolley buses, regular buses, cars and scooters? all sharing the 10-lane wide roads with bicycles and still, he said, no accidents that he saw.
‘I saw what was a third world country coming toward the 21st century, building and changing things,? McCarville noted. ‘They have 31 provinces and only six have become industrialized.?
There is still plenty of history, and McCarville had no problems getting around in his wheelchair to see sights such as the Ming Dynasty tombs, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall.
‘It was built in the1400s and thousands of people go up on that wall,? he said. ‘It’s manmade and the amount of distance covered would extend from New York to Denver. It’s an amazing feat of construction and 70 percent is handicap-accessible. Needed help in some places, but they’re there to help you. If you’re waiting for the world to become flat, you’re not going anywhere.?