Paris Paralympics: refugee athletes deliver ‘message of perseverance’ as they seek medals
- 8 paralympians and one runner guide want to prove that anything is possible, despite the challenges of being disabled and uprooted from home
Athletes on the Refugee Paralympic Team are looking to send a message of hope as they strive for the podium at the 2024 Paralympic Games, which begin in Paris next week.
Eight Paralympians and one runner guide who fled conflict and persecution in their homelands are hoping to earn medals in six sports: para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, para-taekwondo, para-triathlon and wheelchair fencing.
Among them is Ibrahim Al Hussein, a Syrian athlete who will be competing in para-triathlon. Al Hussein lost his right foot and parts of his left foot in 2012 during the civil war that ravaged his country and forced him to flee to Greece.
“I left Syria in a wheelchair and I want to send a message of perseverance and hope to everyone who feels miserable or bad about themselves,” Al Hussein said from the team’s training camp in Reims.
Like many on his team, he wants to prove that anything is possible, despite the challenges that come with being both disabled and uprooted from your home.
Living in crowded refugee camps for years with little or no access to training centres, Al Hussein and others overcame many obstacles to reach top sporting competitions.