Athletes on the Refugee Paralympic Team are aiming to deliver a message of hope as they vie for medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris next week.
This inspiring group includes eight Paralympians and one runner guide, all of whom escaped conflict and persecution from their home countries. They will compete in six sports: para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, para-taekwondo, para-triathlon, and wheelchair fencing.
Notably, Ibrahim al-Hussein, a Syrian para-triathlete, is among the contenders. Al Hussein, who lost his right foot and parts of his left foot during the 2012 civil war in Syria, fled to Greece seeking safety.
"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 told The Associated Press (AP) 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 home.
Living in crowded refugee camps for years with little or no access to training centers, al-Hussein and others overcame many obstacles to reach top sporting competitions.
Hadi Darvish, a para-powerlifter from Iran, initially couldn’t access a gym where he was living in Germany because he lacked a bank account due to his pending refugee status. But he kept trying until he found a place where he could train. His persistence paid off. In 2022, he won first place in the German National Championships among able-bodied competitors.
Guillaume Junior Atangana thought his dreams of becoming a professional athlete had been dashed when he lost his eyesight. But instead of ending his sporting career, he discovered that running with the help of a guide could take him even further.
"I’ve been able to put in some great performances that some able-bodied people can’t manage,” he told AP. "I’m very happy about that.”
After finishing fourth in the 400 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Atangana hopes to win a medal this time.
Zakia Khudadadi, the only woman on the team and who in Tokyo became the first Afghan female athlete to compete in an international sporting event after the Taliban took back control of her country, will also be participating in her second Paralympic Games.
Born without a forearm, Khudadadi began practicing taekwondo at the age of 11, overcoming the obstacles she faced as she grew up.
"Life for all girls and women in Afghanistan is forbidden. It’s over,” Khudadadi told AP earlier this month. "I’m here to win a medal in Paris for them. I want to show strength to all women and girls in Afghanistan."
The Refugee Paralympic Team will be the first delegation to march at the Opening Ceremony taking place along the Champs-Elysees on Aug. 28.
