Refugee athletes deliver 'a message of perseverance' as they seek medals at Paris Paralympics

REIMS, France (AP) — 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 that 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 told The Associated Press 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 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 that 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 snatch 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 taking part in her second Paralympic Games.

Born without a forearm, Khudadadi began practicing taekwondo at the age of 11, kicking through the obstacles that presented themselves as she grew up.

“Life for all girls and women in Afghanistan is forbidden. It’s over,” Khudadadi told the 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. ___

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