海角大神

In a video released in the leadup to the Rio 2016 Paralympics, a swimmer born with one leg shorter than the other tells viewers that if people are going to pity her, she hopes it鈥檚 for all the early mornings and hard work she鈥檚 put into her sport 鈥� not her disability.

It鈥檚 one of the many ads posted and shared before the Paralympics, which kicked off Sept. 7 and run until Sept. 18, in an effort to fill venues and get viewers excited for more athletic feats and inspiration following the Olympic Games.

And while Brazilians have flooded Paralympics stadiums the past week and a half 鈥� exceeding expectations and purchasing the second-largest number of tickets in Paralympics history after ticket sales hovered at just 12 percent all year聽鈥� they鈥檙e not just soaking up the prowess of athletes with disabilities overcoming stereotypes or in some cases even by this year鈥檚 Olympians. The games have also served as a welcome escape for Brazilians from political scandals, corruption, a struggling economy 鈥� and perhaps the nation鈥檚 own sense of being pitied by a global community that not long ago labeled it a rising star.

For some, the Paralympics are evidence that Brazil can pull through this challenging time.

鈥淲hat these athletes are able to do shows us that we can not give up on our country. We fight. We believe things in Brazil will improve,鈥� says Alessandra Alves, a shopkeeper at the Rio Olympic Park, earlier this week.聽

Budget shortages, impeachments

For the past few years, Brazil has been bombarded with bad news. The headlines range from budget shortages shuttering schools and public salaries going unpaid to the Zika epidemic and an enormous corruption scandal that鈥檚 implicated hundreds of top businessmen and politicians 鈥� the most recent being beloved former President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva, labeled by prosecutors this week as the kingpin of the multi-billion dollar kickback scheme.聽Brazil聽removed a president from office聽via impeachment聽for the first time in its history聽in the short weeks between the Olympic Games and the Paralympics.

鈥淭he best way to describe the mood in Brazil today is nausea,鈥� says Marcos Troyjo, a former Brazilian diplomat and co-director of Columbia University's BRICLab. 聽It may be a sinking feeling, particularly compared to the highs of 2010, but he notes that there鈥檚 鈥渟omething positive鈥� to it, too.

鈥淚t means your system is working toward expelling something that鈥檚 not right. It鈥檚 the notion that something鈥檚 very wrong, but you鈥檙e managing鈥� to move ahead, Mr. Troyjo says.

The Paralympics themselves essentially launched amid scandal: As the Olympic Games were wrapping up, news broke that the Paralympics were hanging on by a thread due to budget shortfalls. They were barely saved by a stopgap bailout from the federal government. And others have questioned the Paralympics effort in Rio, asking whether there will be any kind of lasting legacy for the city鈥檚 disabled residents.

But even with a slashed budget, reduced staff, and less seating, Cariocas, as Rio locals are known, have gotten into the Paralympic spirit from seeing their countrymen鈥檚 amazing feats 鈥� like swimmer Daniel Dias, born without feet or hands, who won his 20^th Paralympic medal on Monday.

Ms. Alves, the shopkeeper, and her two cousins attended the Paralympics for the second time Tuesday night. They first attended on Sunday, when 170,000 fans made it the largest Rio Olympic Park turnout so far for both the Olympics and Paralympics.

The three women showed their support by wearing handmade matching shirts that read 鈥淧aralympics Rio 2016鈥� with an outline of Brazil, filled in with the flag.

Cri S谩, one of Alves鈥檚 cousins, says watching the Paralympians amid the country鈥檚 turmoil has been an inspiration. 鈥淭he Brazilian people are trying to overcome this鈥� difficult time in the country鈥檚 history, she says. 鈥淟ike the Paralympic athletes, breaking the barriers.鈥澛�

鈥淏razilians want to forget a little, you know?鈥� says Claudia Vieira, who is one of the roughly 11 percent of Brazilians who are unemployed. 鈥淭he Paralympics have provided some relief from our situation 鈥� they鈥檝e taken away the stress a little from the financial crisis, the president鈥檚 impeachment,鈥� she says on her way out of the Olympic Park Tuesday night.

The price was right

The Rio 2016 Committee launched an aggressive, last-chance Facebook campaign for Paralympic tickets the day after the Olympic Games ended, hoping to ride the wave of post-Olympics excitement and also highlight Brazil鈥檚 history of success at the Paralympics. The effort boasted Brazil鈥檚 triumphant moments in past Paralympics and enticed locals with .

But there was one other key factor: the price. After the tear-jerking ads, the screen flashes, 鈥渢ickets starting at R$10鈥� (about $3).聽

That price tag has made the Paralympics much more accessible for average workers in Brazil, where the minimum wage is about $270 per month.

Contrary to the Olympics, which were widely聽criticized for being exclusionary and catering to corporate interests and wealthy, foreign audiences, the Paralympics aimed to be more inclusive.

鈥淪port is always a distraction from reality, but the Paralympics are a much more inclusive event than the Olympics, and as Brazilians are really keen to cheer on the underdog it makes for [an] especially engaging sporting environment,鈥� says Christopher Gaffney, a senior research fellow at the University of Z眉rich who spent six years in Brazil studying the impacts of mega events on cities.

鈥淭he message [in the Facebook ads] was that the Paralympic Games are accessible and affordable for everyone. We wanted to attract people from all different parts of society,鈥� says Philip Wilkinson, a spokesman for the Rio 2016 Committee.

Paralympics swimming attendee Jovino Ferreira de Oliveira agrees. 鈥淭he Olympics were for foreigners, the Paralympics are for Rio locals.鈥� Part of that local pride comes from the fact that while there were several victories for Brazil during the Olympics, Brazilians have been on the podium every day during the Paralympics.

鈥淒uring the Olympics they encouraged us leave 鈥� to go on vacation, stay at home. But for the Paralympics they really encouraged us to participate, with the campaign messages saying, 鈥榣et鈥檚 all come together and fill all the seats,鈥欌�� says Mr. Ferreira de Oliveira.

鈥淩io was in need of this pick-me-up,鈥� his son, Matheus dos Santos Ferreira de Oliveira, says of the Paralympics.

But with the games wrapping up on Sunday, tough times certainly await Brazil. 鈥淥nce the Paralympics are behind us, the importance of politics will take center stage [again] and the general mood will decrease,鈥� predicts Troyjo. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all going to be about the economy. We are facing a bitter, long period of recession.鈥�

But some, like Mr. dos Santos Ferreira de Oliveira, are hopeful that the Olympic and Paralympic spirit will buoy Brazilians a little longer.

鈥淭he people were so discouraged with the political situation, the state being in a financial crisis,鈥� he says. The Paralympics have 鈥渉elped the citizens' self-esteem.鈥�