Paralympic Heroes

Samantha Lo

‘Spirit in Motion’, the motto of the Paralympic games, encapsulates the strength and willpower that paralympic heroes demonstrate in their commitment to sporting competitions.

Qualifying para-athletes with a wide range of disabilities, including physical, intellectual and visual impairments, have competed in the Paralympic Games, often held immediately after the Olympic Games since 1988. It has been announced that the next Paralympic Games will be held in Paris, France, from 28th August to 8th September 2024.

What are the Paralympics?

The term ‘Paralympics’ references the Greek etymology of the prefix ‘para’, meaning ‘beside’ or ‘alongside’. This phraseology is intended to highlight its equal status with the Olympic Games. However, in reality, the funding gap between able-bodied athletes and their disabled counterparts persists. Moreover, Paralympians receive less media attention than their Olympian counterparts.

Para-athletes with refugee status face additional obstacles and often unseen obstacles, with war and displacement still a pressing issue across the world. At the 2023 World Refugee Forum, held in Geneva, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that it will support a Refugee Paralympic Team at the upcoming event in Paris.

“Paralympic Games are the pinnacle event that showcases the very best of Para sport.”

Kristina Molloy, IPC Chief Membership and Impact Officer, said: “Sport is a powerful driver for positive social change for persons with disabilities across the globe, and the Paralympic Games are the pinnacle event that showcases the very best of Para sport.” The French Ministry of Sport and Airbnb are aiding the IPC’s efforts as private partners.

Paralympic Heroes Past and Present

Though the full list of candidates for the 2024 Paralympic Games is yet to be revealed, let’s look back at some of the most celebrated Paralympic heroes from previous years.

Parfait Hakizimana

While living in a displacement camp in Burundi, which was under attack in 1996, Hakizimana was shot in the arm and left with permanent damage. His mother tragically lost her life in the same attack. Not wanting to stay in Burundi any longer, for fear of exposing himself to potential danger, Parfait began a new life instructing Taekwondo in Rwanda.

Anas Al Khalifa

“I have to keep fighting, too. It gives me motivation.”

Syrian-born Al Khalifa fled his country due to civil war and arrived in Turkey in 2014. He relocated to Germany the following year. Following a spinal cord injury in 2018, Al Khalifa became a wheelchair user and, encouraged by his physiotherapist, took up para-canoe, and the sport soon became his life’s passion.

Alia Issa

Issa, the only woman on the list and a daughter of Syrian refugees, has an inspiring story to tell. She defied the bullying and discrimination she had long been confronted with and secured her spot in the Refugee Paralympic Team as a club thrower.

Reflecting on how different her life is after engaging in sports, she said: “Sport has given me independence. I am now suddenly part of a new community, making new friends with similar goals.”

Ibrahim Al Hussein

“I decided I had to help because I knew I would have never been able to forgive myself.”

As the son of a swimming coach, Al Hussein has loved the sport since childhood. He started swimming at just five years old. However, his commitment to swimming was wavered after he was injured trying to rescue his friend who was shot by a sniper during a bombing in Syria.

When asked about these moments, Al Hussein said: “[His friend] fell to the ground and cried for help. I knew if I went to help him, I could get shot as well. But I decided I had to help because I knew I would have never been able to forgive myself for watching him die in the middle of the street.”

Shahrad Nasajpour

“You will hear a lot of no’s on a regular basis, but do not take that no as an answer.”

Iranian Nasajpour is credited for helping to form the Refugee Paralympic Team. Unable to compete for the US as a discus thrower due to his previous lack of official citizenship, Nasajpour pushed the IPC to support displaced para-athletes like himself.

Speaking to WBUR, Nasajpour advised other para-athletes: “Be resilient in difficult times. You will hear a lot of no’s on a regular basis, but do not take that no as an answer.”

Mohammad Abbas Karimi

Born with Phocomelia syndrome in Afghanistan, where civil unrest is prominent, Karimi faced odds and obstacles to make a name for himself.

“When you are born disabled without arms or legs or missing body parts in Afghanistan, you are considered hopeless,” he said.

However, his love for swimming and strength of character transcended have allowed him to announce his success to the world on the podium. 

Paying Paralympic Heroes More Attention

Para-athletes prove that when faced with unfavourable circumstances, we should not limit our ambitions but instead prove the world wrong. While the world anticipates a spectacular performance from the soon-to-be-revealed Refugee Paralympic Team, we should remember the strength and resilience attributed to Paralympic heroes of recent years.

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Featured image courtesy of Stuart Grout via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

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