It's also completely fantastic for my sport, for para dressage. So it feels huge, and I hope it creates ripples – that all riders and those with some kind of disability dare to classify themselves and join in, because it's a fantastic sport we have, continues Etzner Jakobsson.
The experienced rider has taken three Paralympic medals during her career – two bronzes in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and a silver in Tokyo 2021.
The opening ceremony of the Paralympics will not take place in an arena, just like the Olympic Games opening ceremony. But unlike the Olympic Games opening ceremony, the Paralympic opening ceremony will not take place on the Seine's water.
Instead, the athletes will parade through the city, from the Arc de Triomphe, via the Champs-Élysées and on to the Place de la Concorde. 65,000 people will be able to take their places along the parade route to watch it live.
This is the first Paralympics opening ceremony in history to take place outside an arena.
I think it will be a great joy, to walk there with the entire Swedish team and have all Swedish teammates around me and get to show off and get to show off the Swedish flag. It's magical, says Louise Etzner Jakobsson.
The opening ceremony, which starts at 8 pm on Wednesday evening, will be broadcast by SVT.
