Most importantly, Katrina wants us to see these Paralympic Games – the 13th since Rome – for what they really are: sports. "A 100-metre sprint for amputees is just that – an event by itself," she says. "It's not something where you can compare times with a 100-metre event at the Olympics; you can only compare times or the records with a 100-metre sprint for amputees."

Along Katrina's worldly adventures that have taken her on the Kokoda Track and being an ambassador for disability sport and addressing the United Nations, she joined 17 other select athletes from around the world for lunch with Prince Edward during the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Katrina was the only guest competing as an athlete with a disability.

"I was near the end when it came to the self introductions, and I thought, 'here we go, this is going to be great because I was the only one with a disability here ... Prince Edward is going to look at me and have no idea of my disability’," Katrina recalled.

"I said, 'I'm Katrina Webb from Australia and I am competing in elite athlete and disability events in 100 and 200 metres in T38s, which is my classification', and I will never forget his expression – I was overwhelmed. Prince Edward knew more about my sport than anyone I've known outside of disability sport.

"Prince Edward said, 'I don't think you've got it right yet … dare I say this, but maybe instead of half-a-dozen events like you do at Commonwealth Games (an able-bodied event), maybe we should make them handicapped handicap events'.

"He suggested we found a combination of the disability groups racing and we handicapped them like we do in the Stawell Gift and the Bay Sheffield, and made it more of an exhibition, and a different and interesting event.

"I think the handicap system Prince Edward spoke of could work at able-bodied events. It could be a case of, 'okay cerebral palsy is more at the front of the line because their disability has more impact on their running, whereas someone who is an arm amputee is at the back because all they are missing is an arm and everything else works fine'. You could then see the level of disability and have a better understanding of what the athletes have achieved.

"It gets back to competing at your level; like a tennis player aged under-14 winning the under-14 championship, and an under-18 player winning his or her section. No one looks at the under-14 players and thinks, 'hey, that standard is ordinary' based on comparing the performance with the under-18 winner.

So the question begs, why compare the times of an able runner with that of a person with a disability?

"My attitude is the same as an able athlete, and I am such a better athlete now compared with when I played netball. When I went to athletics as an athlete with a disability, I doubled my training, and I trained all-year round instead of a season.

"When people hear the term, Paralympics, they think of disability, not the athlete. Maybe one day we will all judge those who compete in the Paralympics for who they really are; people competing in a specific sporting event; people who just happen to have a disability.

"Some people say, yeah, I admire those competing in the Paralympics, but it's not the Olympics, is it? These people don't take it seriously; they see it as participation, not competition, but it's like any sport – you may be competing in a lower grade, but you strive to be the best at that level. The joys or disappointments are still there. You could talk about football (soccer) at the Olympics and say it's not as good as the World Cup, but the winners still celebrate their great achievement.

In women's basketball it's never going to be as strong as the men's; the players aren't going to slam dunk, but it doesn't mean that women's basketball is not highly skilled and competitive."

Australia has sent 170 athletes and 121 staff to the Beijing Paralympics, and will compete in 13 of the 20 sports. There are 17 athletes from South Australia, including Libby Kosmala, who, remarkably, is competing in her 10th Paralympics in shooting, and hopes to add to her tally of nine gold and three silver medals.

It was only 20 years ago that our Paralympians didn't have official uniforms, and had to pay for their trip. "If you had some money and a little bit of talent, you could go," Katrina said.

"You trained once a week and that overall image still sticks with some people, but it's getting better. We are receiving greater support, especially from the government, and there are athletes being recognised at an elite level, like Louise Savage, who, among other wonderful and incredible achievements, won a gold medal in the 800-metre wheelchair demonstration race at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, one-legged ski racer Michael Milton, who has been one of Australia's most successful athletes over the past two decades and has the world record for able bodied for downhill skiing, and Matt Cowdrey, whose swimming times allows him to compete in able-bodied nationals. Their outstanding success – and that of many others – only comes with the evolving of the Paralympics, and finances to help athletes train more to get good coaches.

"Some parts of the Paralympics are still developing, but it is changing. Beijing brings new advancement and new hope that the Paralympics will be seen for what they really are – sport in their own right."

2008 BEIJING PARALYMPICS

Each sport has its own classifications, which are simple to follow. A complete guide is available at >http://www.paralympic.org.au<. Visit the Games website at: >http://www.beijing.paralympics.o rg.au<

ABC radio and television is providing more than 100 hours of coverage of the Paralympic Games. Check guides. The opening ceremony is live on ABC1 and ABC2 tomorrow from 9.20pm (SA time).

SA's 2008 Paralympians

ATHLETICS

Rod Farr (discus, javelin, shot put – classification F52)

Kirrilee McPherson (100m, 200m – T38)

Katy Parrish (100m, 200m – T38)

Michael Roeger (800mj, 1500m; 5000m; 4 x 100m – T46)

CYCLING

Felicity Johnson (1km time trial; individual pursuit – B-VI)

Mel Leckie (road time trial; road race – HC B)

Kieran Modra (1km time trial; individual pursuit; road time trial; road race – B-Vi)

Katie Parker (1KM time trial; individual pursuit – pilot required)

EQUESTRIAN

Grace Bowman (individual championship test; individual freestyle test; team test – P10a)

JUDO

Anthony Clarke (under 90kg – B1)

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY

George Hucks (3.0)

Steven Porter (2.5)

Ryan Scott (0.5)

SHOOTING

Libby Kosmala (10m air rifle standing; 10m air rifle prone; 50m free rifle prone; 3x20 sport rifle – SH1C)

SWIMMING

Matt Cowdrey (50m, 100m, 400m freestyle; 100m backstroke; 100m butterfly; 200m IM – S9, SM9)

Jay Dohnt (100m, 400m freestyle; 100m backstroke; 200m IM – S7, SM7)

Shelley Rogers (100m backstroke; 50m butterfly; 200m IM – S7, SM7