Well, if anyone wondered whether the Paralympics would hold their own against the Olympics, last week's Opening Ceremony gave a bold and joyous answer.
If the Olympics gave us NHS beds, the Paralympics gave us umbrellas. If the Olympics gave us Paul McCartney singing 'Hey Jude', the Paralympics gave us Beverly Knight singing 'I am What I Am'.
The Olympics Opening Ceremony nodded towards the possibilities of science and technology with Tim Berners-Lee; the Paralympics Opening Ceremony gave us enlightenment, understanding and Stephen Hawking.
I've always had a soft spot for Stephen Hawking, he once starred in a BT advert to tell us that "the possibilities are endless, as long as we keep on talking". It was before I had arrived on the scene here. But that advert always resonated with me as it accurately describes the ability of the human spirit to overcome obstacles, to create and achieve.
And in many ways, that's what the Paralympics are about. First and foremost they're about sport - of athletic accomplishment that can inspire us all. But they also represent the ultimate triumph of ability over disability, a demonstration of what can be achieved when talent meets determination. And therefore they raise us all up in a way that's unlike any other sporting event.
We know people are getting into the Paralympic spirit. Ticket sales have been huge and heading towards a complete sell-out. And 62 per cent of Britons are excited about the Games, while 56 per cent say they will follow the Paralympic Games closely.
It's already proving to be a hugely enjoyable event. But it's an important one too.
Because these Paralympics - more than any before them - have a real chance of weaving disabled life more closely into the fabric of our nation. A real chance to help people see, as Stephen Hawking said in his opening monologue, that "there is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being."