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The 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln once said "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." So this week, with the Paralympics starting in LA in exactly two years time, we can't wait to talk about para sport bringing you some truly outstanding stories from those who hustled their way to the top.
Kathrin Marchand is an athlete who has done something no one else has ever achieved. She rowed for Germany at two Olympics, no mean achievement in its own right. She stepped out of the boat for the final time in 2016 and embarked on a career as a doctor, then aged just 30, and without warning, she suffered a stroke. Sport became part of her rehabilitation and she went on to join an exclusive group of athletes to compete at both the Summer Olympics and Paralympics when she rowed again in Paris. But that wasn't enough for Kathrin! When she took part in cross-country skiing at the Winter Para Games in Milan she became a true one-off!
Pioneering Matt Scott is a 5-time paralympian. He picked up two golds and a bronze as part of the USA's wheelchair basketball team. Having left the court for the final time he is now fully focused on his "Fly Without Limits" foundation. It provides opportunities and adapted wheelchairs for individuals living with physical disabilities who want to compete in sport.
In Spain para sport is now on the rise and it all starts at the grass roots. The Tambien Foundation was set up twenty-six years ago with the aim to provide opportunities for those with disabilities to take part in adaptive sport. And it's starting to show in the medals table! Skier Audrey Pascual Seco, who won two golds at the recent Winter Paralympics, first visited the Foundation when she was eleven years old. This year they launched an adaptive climbing program aiming for more medal success at the Summer Games. Para climbing is making its debut in LA.
The story of US Navy bomb disposal officer Brad Snyder who a year after being blinded by an Improvised Explosive Device while serving in Afghanistan won Paralympic gold in the swimming pool.
Photo: Kathrin Marchand of Team Germany competes during the Women's 10km Para Cross-Country Skiing Standing at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games (CREDIT: Luke Hales/Getty Images for IPC)