Paris 2024 Paralympics | The Paralympic Refugee Team — a ...

By Alexander Martin

9 min|

Today we visited the Paralympic Village for an in depth interview with the inspirational medal winners of this unique team, and met the Chef de Mission of the International Paralympics Committee who had some exciting news to share

Picture by Steph Chambers

And so, the Paralympic Games are drawing to a close and soon the baton will be passed on to Los Angeles, and another adventure will begin. But for some of the athletes in what has been an emotional Paralympic fortnight, just getting to these games was a journey in itself — a journey fraught with danger and heartbreak that saw them leave their countries of origin, often in fear for their lives.

"For Shankly, sport was about more than winning; it was about bringing people together for a shared cause"

In 1974, the legendary Liverpool FC coach Bill Shankly famously said, “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

Though often misinterpreted or cited in jest, these words reflected far more than Shankly’s devotion to sport, they embodied his deep belief in the importance of community, solidarity, and collective effort. For him, sport was about more than winning; it was about bringing people together for a shared cause.

If he were alive today, Bill would surely champion the ideals behind the Olympic and Paralympic Refugee Teams as modern manifestations of the values he espoused fifty years ago.

"A symbol of what human beings can achieve when they stand united against malevolent forces"

First introduced at the Rio 2016 Olympics, the Olympic Refugee team showed the world the power of sport to transcend borders and bring global attention to the struggles of the displaced.

Since Rio, the concept has continued to grow, demonstrating that the pursuit of excellence and the power of sport extend far beyond the field. Today, Eight athletes and one guide runner are competing as part of the largest-ever Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT) at these Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The team represents more than 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Its athletes are based in six countries and are competing across six sports – Para athletics, Para powerlifting, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, and wheelchair fencing.

Perhaps this team really does transcend life and death. They are a symbol of what human beings can achieve when they stand united against malevolent forces.

Picture by Steph Chambers

One woman who understands this better than most is the Para Taekwondo bronze medal winner, Zakia Khudadadi. Born with an atrophied arm into the Hazara ethnic minority in the historic city of Herat, western Afghanistan, she graduated from Eshraq University. The rise of the Taliban would change her life forever.

"For every training session, it was very hard — leaving for the club, coming back home, I was constantly in danger", she explains. "Because I’m a woman, and for a woman, especially a female athlete, it is very difficult to live in a male-dominated society".

For all of this, Zakia says she was fortunate to have access to a support system that many of her compatriots could only dream of, "I was lucky to grow up in an open-minded family. They always supported, helped, and encouraged me to achieve my goal. It’s thanks to my family that I’m here today in France with a medal", she acknowledges.

"It was either leave or die"

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan happened on August 15, 2021, and Zakia left on the 17th. As a well-known female athlete throughout her country, her life was in danger, "To participate in Tokyo, I risked my life by posting a video; a cry for help on social media, sharing my phone number and address. I saw it as my last chance to go to the Tokyo Games. It was either leave or die — I was risking my life", she explains emotionally.

Thanks to the solidarity of France, Zakia managed to leave Kabul for Abu Dhabi three days after posting her video. From there, she trqvelled to her new home in Paris, and finally to Tokyo for the Paralympic Games. "I chose France because it was the country that helped me escape Afghanistan", she explains with visible appreciation, "seven years later, I’m a bronze medalist at the Paralympic Games. But this medal is not for me", she continues, "It’s for the millions of women in my country and the millions of women around the world. I represent all of these women as a member of this team, and I represent them when I win a medal — my victory creates a dialogue".

Picture by Steph Chambers

"I come from Afghanistan, and with my medal I show that even if you come from a war-torn country, with will and hard work, anything is possible", she says defiantly. "Every athlete in this team is driven by courage. We are positive and optimistic, and we believe that we can achieve anything in this world if we set our minds to it; we move forward together".

"My advice to Afghan women is simple", concludes Zakia. "Keep going! Keep fighting! Hold on to hope! Despite the pain, we can win freedom in our country. One day, we will achieve freedom and equality in my homeland — I am sure of it!"

As Zakia explains so eloquently, these refugee athletes didn’t get where they are today without help. The multinational character of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) plays a crucial role in their lives that far exceeds the one played by more traditional national Paralympic federations.

"It feels like we’ve been together for years"

Chef de Mission Nyasha Mharakurwa, himself a former Paralmympian, and Chef de Mission for the Paralympic Refugee Team, describes the unique and complex challenges faced by refugee athletes, `When we meet them, they’re already in a challenging situation" he observes. "They receive some support from their communities, but moving your whole life to a new country is difficult. This requires broader society to provide extra support as they build new friendships and find new families. As adults, these things aren’t easy to do".

"However, within the team, they have adapted well, built strong friendships, and formed strong networks. As Chef de Mission this was something I was concerned about, but the way they have adapted is simply extraordinary’ he beams. "During the first ten days of training camp, the unity came together beautifully. It feels like we’ve been together for years".

Picture by Aurelien Meunier

"There have been many high points’, he notes, "Just bringing the athletes together as a team was in itself an achievement. These are people from different countries, who speak different languages, and simply coordinating meetings or traveling to competitions was a challenge. Having everyone here in Paris was a huge moment for us".

"But of course, we're here to compete" continues Nyasha with the glint of a former competitor in his eye, "and it’s a privilege to work with athletes who remain focused and competitive despite their circumstances. The results, especially the medals, speak for themselves".

"One thing is certain: the support and commitment from the IPC for this Refugee Team is unwavering"

Of course the journey for these athletes doesn’t end with the Paralympic Games. The Games only happen every four years and a lot happens in between. For other teams, selection ends after the Games, and athletes continue on their paths.

But this team is in a unique position — they have no country to return to. "We are working on a program to support the Refugee Paralympic Team between Games, and the IPC will announce more details in the coming months" says Nyasha visibly proud of this new initiative. "One thing is certain: the support and commitment from the IPC for this Refugee Team is unwavering", he concludes.

Picture by Ezra Shaw

400m Paralympic bronze medalist, Guillaume Junior Atangana was the flagbearer at the opening ceremony of these Paralympic Games, so it’s only fair that we give him the final word on what this team represents.

"The opening ceremony was a memorable day for me, and it was magnificent", he says. Carrying that flag gave me confidence — it was truly a great honor. I felt like I was carrying the whole team, as well as refugees from all over the world — a responsibility and an honour that will stay with me forever’.

But Guillaume wasn’t always so optimistic. "The message I want to convey to people with disabilities, in general, is that many people are in the same situation as you" he said. "If you think you can’t carry on, we provide you with an example of what you can achieve. Our participation in the Games is a source of strength for you; we show you that in life, you must always keep hope, and when you dare, you can succeed. You must persevere. You must never give up. You must never abandon hope", he insists. "It is by forging ahead that one becomes a blacksmith."

"Wider society would do well to emulate the inclusive and compassionate approach adopted the Olympic and Paralympic families"

In answer to Bill Shankly’s famous quip, sport is not more important than life and death. But by focusing the attention of the entire world on injustice, bigotry and simple human cruelty, sport can save lives. Sport, like its most admirable exponent — the Paralympic Refugee Team — is undeniably a force for good.

But the struggles and sacrifices these athletes endure to participate in the Games are not exclusive to them. Refugees worldwide experience similar challenges every day, and our wider society would do well to emulate the inclusive and compassionate approach adopted the Olympic and Paralympic families. This is the message that Zakia, Nyasha and Guillaume really want to convey. Here’s hoping the world is ready to listen.