Astronaut John McFaul made his return to the Paralympics today (28 August) to carry the Games’ official flag at the opening ceremony in Paris.
McFaul won a bronze medal in the men’s T42 100m race at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. McFaul is now pursuing a different career, with extensive medical expertise and working as a reserve astronaut for the European Space Agency.
“It is truly an honor to be here today as both a Paralympic athlete and a reserve astronaut with a physical disability,” McFaul said in a statement. “I believe that attending this year’s ceremony in my new role with the European Space Agency is a testament to and embodies the success, reach and legacy of the Paralympic Movement.”
The statement added that McFaul, along with French sailor and Paralympic gold medallist Damien Seguin, each carried the Paralympic flag “to represent the entire Paralympic community and not a particular country”.
One of McFaul’s main tasks since being selected by ESA in 2022 has been to finalise the “Fly!” study, in which he and the other authors carried out a range of tests to assess the capabilities of astronauts with lower limb prostheses, such as the one he uses, on missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
The study found no major problems with such a flight, but it doesn’t guarantee McFaul will fly. Like other ESA reserve astronauts, McFaul has completed basic familiarization training and will continue his career (as a surgeon) while awaiting call-up for a future space mission.
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In an interview with Space.com earlier this month, McFaul said he was excited to bring his passion for sports to the Paralympics, but was nervous about the challenge because he prefers competing against himself rather than others.
“I was just the annoying kid who was on every sports team. I didn’t necessarily have dreams of being an Olympian. After I lost my leg, I got back into running and sports became a big part of my life,” McFaul told Space.com in an exclusive interview on August 18.
As for the race itself, the first thing McFaul felt after crossing the finish line was relief. “I had incredible performance anxiety,” he said. But the eight years of preparation helped him in his other life endeavors, including becoming a doctor and participating in the astronaut selection process. “The effort you put in is [you put] “It pays to do that,” McFall said. “That was a real life lesson for me.”
