Page 40 - Team TTO PARIS 2024
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Stewart, 32, first made history in 2015, when he became   Ramessar, said essential equipment like competitive
            the first athlete from Trinidad and Tobago to win a medal   prostheses and racing wheelchairs are hugely expensive.
            at the Parapan American Games. He won two gold      There is the ongoing challenge of access to training
            medals at the event in Toronto, Canada, setting what   facilities, the absence of competitive opportunities and
            were then new world records in the javelin (53.36m) and   the general lack of support from the wider community.
            discus (63.03m) F43.
                                                                “There are many people who aren’t totally open to
            “Since 2015, this country’s Paralympic athletes have been   disabled kids in sport. Some parents are imposing their
            performing well at international competitions and we   own disbelief on their children and this has got to
            want to continue this at the Games in Paris,” said Sudhir   change.”
            Ramessar, the head of Trinidad and Tobago’s Paralympic
            Committee.                                          Ramessar, who has been involved with disabled sport
                                                                since 2011, is however optimistic that things will
            Stewart who was described as a “fierce, dedicated    improve. He was extremely proud that the
            competitor” by Paralympic sports development officer   Commonwealth Youth Games which took place in T&T
            Micky Ruben. “He’s going to perform above normal, you   in August 2023 also included para sport. It was a great
            might be disappointed if he just wins,” Ruben said   opportunity for T&T’s Isaiah Williams who reached the
            jokingly.                                           final of the Men’s 100 – T38 class.

            The Tobagonian is the last of a group of para-athletes   “The Commonwealth Youth Games is one of the few
            who represented this country with pride in the last   Games where there is that level of inclusivity. We were
            decade. Among his peers were shotputter Carlos Greene   very proud of Isaiah. He improved his times by seven
            and swimmer Shanntol Ince, who in the run-up to the   seconds in less than a
            2012 London Olympics, were part of a high-profile media   year. He is the future.
            campaign that saw featured on billboards across the
            country. In their wake, came another Tobagonian, sprinter   “He’s 18 and we’re
            Nyoshia Cain who seemed to be on a promising track.   carefully planning his   AKEEM STEWART
                                                                development. We hope      CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
            Covid-19 and the challenges of training during the   he will compete in the
            lockdown, robbed some of these athletes of the      2025 Youth Parapan
            opportunity to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.   Am Games in Asuncion,   2015 IPC Athletics World
            Like many other athletes around the world, these    Paraguay.”               Championships (Doha, Qatar)
            challenges and the disappointment of not competing                           Men's Discus Throw F44 – Bronze
            in the Olympics prompted them to reconsider their   Ruben is also hopeful
            careers and most have opted to retire and move on   for the future, and      2016 Paralympic Games
            with their lives.                                   thinks people will be    (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
                                                                                         Men's Javelin F44  Gold
                                                                encouraged to support    Men's Discus Throw F44 – Silver
            Akeem Stewart is a bridge between those athletes and   more when they see the
            a new generation of para-athletes coming up in T&T. In   progress that’s being   2017 World Para Athletics
            the future, we hope to see the new hopefuls like    made. “We need to        Championships (London,
            badminton player Justin Bridgemohan, sprinters Isaiah   believe the disabled   Great Britain)
            Williams and Johan Biput and thrower Ganesh         community has            Men's Javelin F44  – Gold
            Baboolal.                                           limitless possibilities,”   Men's Shot Put F44 –  Gold
                                                                he said. “The work, time
            There are many challenges facing para-athletes in this   and effort they put in is   2019 Parapan American
            country and the rest of the region. T&T Paralympic   no less than the        Championships (Lima, Peru)
            Committee president Ramessar regards the lack of    able-bodied, so they     Men’s Discus Throw F64 – Gold
                                                                                         Men’s Javelin Throw F64 – Silver
            classifiers who can determine how to put athletes into   really deserve to get
            the correct competitive categories as a key issue. There   more respect and help.”    2023 Parapan American
            are only two in the region and Micky Ruben is the only                       Championships (Santiago, Chile)
            person qualified to do so in T&T.                                             Men's Discus Throw F64 – Gold



            * The 2024 Paralympic Games run from August 28 to September 8 in Paris, France.





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