Guillaume Junior Atangana from Cameroon will run with his guide, refugee Donard Ndim Nyamjua. Nothing is impossible: Paralympic refugee team heads to Paris Refugees and Migrants
Eight athletes and one runner guide will compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris – the largest Paralympic refugee team in history.
“All Paralympians have stories of incredible resilience, but the journey of these refugee athletes who survived war and persecution to now compete in the Paralympic Games is particularly impressive,” said Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Representing more than 120 million displaced people and 1.2 billion people with disabilities, eight athletes from six countries will compete in Para Athletics, Para powerlifting, Paralympic table tennis, Paralympic taekwondo, paratriathlon and wheelchair fencing.
“Never stop dreaming”
Amelio Castro Grueso, who lives in Italy, plans to compete in wheelchair fencing. After surviving the death of his mother in Colombia at just 16 years old, he faced another tragedy just four years later when he lost both legs in a traffic accident.
Then he was forced to flee his homeland due to threats against him – in a wheelchair, not knowing the language and without support in the new country. After a long recovery, he wanted to write a book to share his story, but decided that more people would read it if he were a medal-winning athlete.
His experience showed him that in the face of great difficulties, the most important thing is to never give up.
“Never stop dreaming and no matter how difficult your life or what you face, don’t give up, keep fighting. On the day when you least expect it, you will find the light at the end of the tunnel and that beautiful moment will come when everything will change for the better,” he said.
Nothing is impossible
Also among the participants is Syrian refugee Ibrahim al-Hussein. He lost his leg in an explosion while trying to save a friend during the Syrian civil war in 2012 and fled to Greece in a wheelchair, penniless. This year he will compete in his third consecutive Paralympic Games, representing the refugee team.
Guillaume Junior Atangana of Cameroon is preparing for his second Paralympic Games after finishing fourth in the 400m T11 in Tokyo. He originally wanted to become a famous football player, but chose athletics when he lost his sight. This year he will run with his guide, refugee Donard Ndim Nyamjua.
All of the team members have had their fair share of hardships and challenges, but they have proven time and time again that nothing is impossible. .
“No matter how difficult their circumstances, these athletes have found a way to compete at the highest level of Paralympic sport.” , – said the head of the Paralympic refugee team Nyasha Mharakurva.
Read also: