When American Paralympian Stephani Victor won gold in Turin, the medal was just a painted version, a clear message that her performance as a sit-skier didn't have the same value as that of her Olympic counterparts.

When Victor collected a gold medal Saturday in Whistler for her performance in the final race of the 2010 Paralympics, it was the real thing -- different design -- but in all respects the same as the one given to the Olympians.

For Victor, it was telling evidence that Paralympians are finally being recognized as the world-class athletes they are, not also-rans to the more glorified Olympians.

"Vancouver is the first Games where I have felt included not only by the organizers, all the volunteers, our special treatment for the medals plaza, everything -- but also just the general public," said Victor.

Victor, who also won two silver medals at Whistler, says the 2010 Games have been the most inclusive of any to date.

"When I go skiing I am out there skiing; I am not thinking about my disability, I'm not thinking about not having legs or my wheelchair at the bottom. I'm skiing; I'm free," she said. "And then I'll run into someone, a total stranger will say, 'Wow, [it's] so amazing someone in your condition can ski.'

"Now, I don't think they intend to be condescending, but it is."

Victor said that at these Games, strangers came up to her when she went out for dinner to offer congratulations.

"They have taken such a genuine interest in these Games, from the perspective of sport, not coming here to feel sorry for the poor gal that lost her legs, but, 'I can see that she's an incredible athlete and I want to come and watch a high level of competition.' "

It's a shift in attitude that athletes see extending to the media. Even though Paralympic coverage was just a fraction of that devoted to the much larger Olympics, these Paralympics had more media coverage than ever before. And despite an unprecedented 57 hours of coverage by the host broadcaster CTV, there was a vocal demand by Canadians for more.

When German television producer Martin Zimmermann first covered the Paralympic Games, in Barcelona in the summer of 1992, he was there with two other producers delivering two half-hour features to viewers back home.

For these Games, he was in Whistler with a crew of 20-plus people to deliver one hour-long and one half-hour show daily, and he provided commentary for the live feed of the Paralympics closing ceremony. "We are doing much more," Zimmermann said of coverage by ARD, one of Germany's two national public broadcasters. "You cannot compare what we did then to what we are doing today."

Paralympic athletes are noticing the increased attention and are encouraged, even though only select events are being carried live by CTV, and news of their successes doesn't get the same high profile as that of their Olympian counterparts.

But athletes feel that if their sports were more widely shared in the media, it would generate even more interest.

" I know we have 1,200 media at these games and that is the biggest ever for the Paralympic Games," said Tom Silletta, the coach in charge of Canada's development team, adding that he sees athlete being interviewed more than ever before.