If Lady Bracknell were in a position to give an award for the week's most sickly sweet international news item about crips triumphing over tragedy, this
would definitely be a contender.

It's an account from Tara Pipia who was a spectator at the New York marathon, and who found herself unexpectedly moved to rapturous applause by the disabled (sorry, "amazing disadvantaged") competitors who were, of course, all "brave". Even the ones who had "seemingly no disability", but who must have been brave because they were wearing special red t-shirts as "testimony to their disadvantage". (You couldn't make this stuff up.)

Now, Lady Bracknell couldn't run a marathon to save her life. She can't even run for the bus. But if she were a vision of athleticism, she would very much prefer to be treated equally than to be referred to as "an elite in her own way". Because, strangely, she would consider that sort of attitude to be just the teensiest bit patronising.

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