The 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro have brought together several athletes with stories of courage and determination in not allowing their physical disabilities hinder their sporting ambitions.
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Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian, 38, won her third gold of the Games and her 14th Paralympic gold from both cycling and swimming.
During the match, a scrum collapse had horrific consequences for Fernandes as it left him partially paralysed and contemplating spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
“I won my first paralympics medal in 2004, and now, after 12 years, it is just the dedication and hardwork which paid off”, Jhajhariya, who is a coach with the Gandhinagar centre of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), told IANS from Rio after his victory on Wednesday.
As if one double Paralympic champion wasn’t enough, the Farnham area now boasts two after Binsted’s Georgie Hermitage also won gold medals in the T37 100m and 400m events this week – setting two new world records in the process.
China have long since secured their place at the top of the medal table, and there was more history made by their athletes on Saturday.
His previous best showing at this level was winning bronze in Beijing 2008.
At the last Paralympics in London four years ago, they returned with 13 medals: 6 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals.
It takes her total Paralympic medal tally to three, adding to the hand-cycling gold she won at Beijing in 2008 and the bronze at London 2012, the latter just weeks after a auto hit her racing bike during an event on the A31 near Bentley. Nigeria picked up six gold medals in the event and athletics provided two.
Tijani won Team Nigeria’s first medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games, clinching Silver in the women’s -45kg Powerlifting event.
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Xiao Cuijuan of China finished third with a lift of 115 kg to win the bronze medal.
