Charles-Antoine Kouakou, a Paralympic athlete, is gearing up for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with unwavering determination and a track record of success. His journey, marked by hard work and dedication, has seen him break records and win medals on the international stage. 

Residing in Paris, Charles comes from a supportive family consisting of his sister, Grace Kelly, his father, Marcel, and his mother, Sistine.

“My father, my mother, my sister, and everyone are proud of me,” he says, highlighting the strong support system that has been with him every step of the way. 

Fortunately,  Charles has faced minimal discrimination due to his intellectual impairment and autistic traits. Charles discovered his passion for athletics at the young age of fifteen years old.

“I started very young. I was 17 and 15 years old. Even in Saint-Denis, I ran and was told I was good at running,” he recalls.

This early encouragement led him to try various events, including the high jump, long jump, and 1000m. Charles received his international eligibility with Virtus in January 2017 which opened doors for him at the international para-sports competitions. He joined the French team the same year, marking a significant milestone in his athletic career. 

He has already won 30 international medals from various competitions including Virtus Global Games, regional games and his favourite medal, the gold from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Athletics has had a profound impact on Charles’s life, helping him grow both personally and socially. 

“I’ve done other sports, I’ve practised karate, judo, handball, table tennis, a little bit of everything. But I choose athletics over them all as I love it. Athletics has helped me in many different ways. For me, it allows me to go for a walk, eat with friends, buy in a store, go to Carrefour, go to a supermarket, buy a piece of clothing, he explains.

“I realized that I was in a bit of trouble and I was a little autistic. I was told that I had to progress in reading and so that’s how I progressed.”

The discipline and routine of training have also helped him manage his daily life and responsibilities. Charles trains almost seven times a week. His coach and the support from the French Federation of Adapted Sport and Virtus Sport have been crucial in his preparation for the Paralympic Games. 

With his sights set on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Charles is determined to win the gold medal. He acknowledges the competition, particularly from Brazilian athletes, but remains confident in his abilities. 

“I want to win another gold at Paris 2024. it will be quite a memory because it’s in France and I’ll be known by all Parisians, even in Saint-Denis itself, everywhere! If I become a Paralympic champion in Paris, I can meet Emmanuel Macron again.”

Looking to the future, Charles is considering a career that combines sports with another profession, emphasizing the importance of having a balanced life. 

Charles-Antoine Kouakou’s journey is a testament to resilience, hard work, and the power of a supportive community. As he prepares for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, his story serves as an inspiration to athletes everywhere, proving that with determination and support, anything is possible. 

Join Virtus’ #MakingInvisibleVISIBLE campaign in making Charles-Antoine’s journey Visible. 

WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT? 

Intellectual impairment is an umbrella term to describe a vast and neuro-diverse group of people with varying types of cognitive impairments including intellectual disability, Down syndrome and autism. Having an intellectual impairment impacts how an athlete understands the rules of the sport, interacts with other players, and adjusts to different environments. They might find it difficult to manage reaction times, remember specific race or game strategies, retain focus for long period of time, or maintaining impulse control.  

At just eighteen years old, Chen Po-Yen is poised to shine on the global stage as he prepares for his Paralympic Games debut at the Paris 2024. Unlike his peers, this exceptional teenager secured his spot in Paris last year by clinching victory in the II1 Men’s Singles event at the fiercely competitive 2023 Virtus Global Games in Vichy. 

The Global Games 2023 served as the ultimate battleground for elite athletes like Yen, where skill, determination, and unwavering spirit were put to the test. Overcoming many of the ITTF’s top-ranked Class 11 opponents, Yen faced off against Makajew Maciej from Poland in the finals and secured his significant 3-0 victory (11-8, 11-8, 15-13) which secured him a place for Paris 2024.  

The ITTF’s fifth-world rank holder hails from Taiwan and draws strength and support from his close-knit family, including his devoted parents and older sister, who have been unwavering in their encouragement. 

Fortunately, Yen has never allowed his impairment to limit his ambitions, crediting his sister for igniting his passion for table tennis. 

“I developed an interest in sports because my sister used to play table tennis during her childhood. I developed an interest as I watched my sister play from the sidelines. I love table tennis because I think the posture of playing table tennis is quite cool.”   

Po-Yen received his international eligibility with Virtus in May 2022, which opened doors for him at the international elite para-sports competitions. Driven by a relentless work ethic, Yen dedicates long hours to training in the gym, honing his skills under the guidance of his coach, Wei Chun-Ta. Despite facing challenges in understanding certain tactics, Yen’s determination and perseverance have been unwavering, propelling him towards excellence. 

“Since Chen doesn’t have physical or visual impairments, his regular training is the same as mainstream athletes’, including immediate tactics and physical training. There are no significant differences. However, Po-Yen’s training requires a bit more repeated practice than usual athletes.” said Chen-Po’s coach, Wei Chun-Ta, who has been training him since 2019. 

 “Sometimes he may have some difficulties understanding certain immediate tactics, so he needs to repeatedly practice over and over again until he understands particular tactics,” he further added. 

 Yen acknowledges the pivotal role played by the Chinese Taipei Paralympic Committee (CTPC) and Virtus in his journey towards success.  

 “I wouldn’t be here today without the significant efforts of the CTPC and Virtus. While CTPC takes care of my daily needs and training, Virtus competitions provide us with an international stage, allowing us, athletes with intellectual impairment to showcase our talents.” 

 Dr. Mu, Ming-Chu, President of the Chinese Taipei Paralympic Committee, who was also the Head of the Delegation for Chinese Taipei at GG2023 was emotional and very excited to witness Yen’s victory at Vichy. 

 “I am very proud of this young boy who is just a high school student. Chen had no specialised training program to train himself but he did his best and achieved this extraordinary result. I am very happy and proud that he qualified for the Paralympic Games in Paris next year.” 

  Yen is looking forward to making his Paralympic debut at Paris 2024.  

 “I’m very happy to represent our country in Paris 2024. I will continue to work hard and bring glory to our country. For me, there are two most competitive players, one is the world’s top-ranked player from Belgium, Florian Von-Acker and one from South Korea, Kim Chang-Gi who could be my biggest rivals in Paris 2024. I’ll strive for the Paralympic Games medal for sure, and I hope I can set an example for young athletes with intellectual impairment.”  

Po-Yen has already etched his name in history, becoming the inaugural male table tennis player to qualify directly from the Virtus Global Games for the Paralympic Games. Additionally, he holds the distinction of being Taiwan’s first representative ever in the Class 11 category at the Paralympic Games. Po-Yen seized a gold in men’s singles and a silver in mixed doubles at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games 2023 too.

Join Virtus’ #MakingInvisibleVISIBLE campaign in making Chen Po-Yen’s journey Visible. 

Watch the highlights of the Women’s II1 finals from GG2023. 

 View the Paris 2024 Para Table Tennis schedule. 

What is Intellectual Impairment? 

Intellectual impairment is an umbrella term to describe a vast and neuro-diverse group of people with varying types of cognitive impairments including intellectual disability, Down syndrome and autism. Having an intellectual impairment impacts how an athlete understands the rules of the sport, interacts with other players, and adjusts to different environments. They might find it difficult to manage reaction times, remember specific race or game strategies, retain focus for long period of time, or maintaining impulse control. 

As the world gears up for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, all eyes are on Samuel Oliveira, a promising athlete hailing from São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo. On his way to making his Paralympic debut, Samuel’s journey to the global stage is a testament to resilience, determination, and unwavering support. 

“My mother and sister always motivated me in athletics and didn’t allow me to give up. They always motivated me in athletics and didn’t allow me to give up, always cheering They vibrated with my achievements and were by my side pushing me to improve more and more. ” Samuel recalls fondly, reflecting on the pivotal role his family played in nurturing his athletic aspirations.  

Growing up in Mauá, São Paulo, Samuel’s journey to athletic stardom came along with a lot of childhood struggles due to his impairment in school. 

“The school period certainly marked me a lot, I was very well known in the schools where I studied for my agitated behaviour, I had a lot of difficulties concentrating and school was not interesting to me, so I wanted to run and play with my classmates until I received the diagnosis I was labelled as a difficult and undisciplined student which earned me several complaints and many trips from my mother to the school board. At this time I was referred for treatment with psychologists.” It was during this time that Samuel received the diagnosis of an intellectual impairment.  

Shedding light on the challenges he faced, Samuel commented,   

“Intellectual impairment affects my life in many ways. I need more time to learn new things and to perform tasks, I also have difficulty understanding complicated information and remembering important things, I always try to take notes and ask for help from my family in some situations. In training, I often forgot my coach’s instructions, but he has always been understanding with me and teaches me clearly so that I can understand.” 

“Unfortunately, many people do not understand intellectual impairment, think it is laziness and sometimes even doubt our abilities. People must understand that we athletes with intellectual impairment also have our limitations and that being in sports is sometimes a great personal overcoming, it is where we can see that we are in fact capable,” he further added.  

Samuel was always motivated to play sports in childhood as he was tall and very energetic, he practised soccer, volleyball, swimming and basketball, but it was through his friend who was a discus thrower, that he got to know about athletics and fell in love with the sport.  

“Athletics is my great passion and challenging my limits brings me a sense of freedom and personal improvement. I can see my progress with each test and see how much I’m able to accomplish my goals. How much I can achieve my goals on the track and in life, is to show especially to myself that even though I have my limitations due to my impairment, I can fly higher and higher.“ 

Samuel received his international eligibility with Virtus in May 2019, which opened doors for him at the international para-sports competitions. Reflecting on his international success, Samuel recalls his first medal, gold in the Men’s II1 Triple jump at the 2019 Virtus Global Games in Brisbane with particular fondness.  

“It was my first international trip, and I never imagined representing my country in a global competition. It was there, at GG2019 that I realised that I could reach higher places and do something great.” 

 

Samuel shattered the 400m WR at Santiago 2024 Parapan American Games, Santiago and mesmerised everyone. Samuel’s journey in athletics has been marked by perseverance and dedication. From battling injuries to overcoming the distance between his home and the track, Samuel’s determination knows no bounds.  

“Paris this year will be the fulfilment of a great dream, I hope to surpass my mark and bring this achievement to Brazil,” he shares. 

As Samuel prepares to take on the world’s best in Paris, his message to aspiring athletes is one of hope and resilience.  

“Never give up, even if you encounter challenges along the way, don’t stop, because one day you will make your dreams come true.” 

With each stride on the track, Samuel Oliveira embodies the spirit of determination and perseverance, inspiring generations of athletes to chase their dreams against all odds. As Paris beckons, Samuel stands as a beacon of hope, ready to leave a legacy of overcoming and motivation for future runners to follow.  

Join Virtus’ #MakingInvisibleVISIBLE campaign in making Samuel’s journey Visible.

WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT? 

Intellectual impairment is an umbrella term to describe a vast and neuro-diverse group of people with varying types of cognitive impairments including intellectual disability, Down syndrome and autism. Having an intellectual impairment impacts how an athlete understands the rules of the sport, interacts with other players, and adjusts to different environments. They might find it difficult to manage reaction times, remember specific race or game strategies, retain focus for long period of time, or maintaining impulse control. 

 

More than 100 athletes with intellectual impairment are gearing up to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 from 27 August to 8 September across three sports: Athletics (T20 and F20), Swimming (S14) and Table Tennis (Class 11). Virtus is joining the #100DaysToGo countdown for Paris 2024 with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

IPC launch a promotional film for Paris 2024 that challenges the perception versus reality of the Paralympics 

• Launched on 100 days to go to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the advert celebrates the dedication and competitiveness of Paralympic athletes 
• IPC makes advert available to all its media rights holders and member organisations for use as part of their pre-Games promotion 

To mark 100 days to go until the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has launched a promotional film that addresses the romantic stereotypes of what some people think the Paralympics represent versus the brutal reality of high-performance sport.   

Paul McCartney’s 1984 seminal song We All Stand Together is the soundtrack for the film titled ‘The Paralympic Dream’ which, like the original music video, features stunning animated scenes. 

The advert was developed by the IPC’s advertising agency adam&eveddb. The creative is initially set in a dream-like animated city of Paris where Para athletes run, jump, fence, and paddle, hand-in-hand alongside loveable singing plants and animals.  

However, the animated love-in and song is abruptly interrupted with the harsh realism of Paralympic sport as British Paralympic taekwondo athlete Amy Truesdale is kicked in the chest and crashes to the mat.  

As Amy climbs back to her feet and lands a blow on her opponent, the advert cuts to a stunning montage of outstanding sporting action from previous Paralympic Games. 

The film is being made available to the IPC’s media rights holders and members organisations to support their promotion of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

Craig Spence, the IPC’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer, said:

“With our Paris 2024 Paralympic promotional film we wanted to challenge the perceptions and stereotypes some people have of the Paralympic Games in the most fun and creative way possible.  

“For some, the Paralympics is an idyllic event where the athletes are carefree and just happy to be there. The truth is that Paralympic sport is highly competitive and, at times, pretty brutal. To compete at the Paralympics, you have to be a world-class high-performance athlete and we show this in the film through fast-paced sporting action. 

“We created this film because we are aiming for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to attract record TV audiences and massive crowds of spectators. This film will be used by Media Rights Holders and IPC member organisations to engage new audiences in what will be spectacular and historical Paralympic Games this summer.” 

adam&eveDDB chose the Paul McCartney track for the advert because it has a loveable childlike quality that perfectly matches the idealistic world they were trying to create and then jolts them out of it in the most memorable way possible. 

Marking the occasion of the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Virtus has once called upon the Paralympic family to honour its commitment to increasing the representation of athletes with an intellectual impairment in the Paralympic Games.

In 2017, the IPC membership passed a motion which mandated greater inclusion which could be achieved through additional sports, additional medal events or additional eligibility classes, but to date no such change has been agreed.

Marc Truffaut, Virtus President said, “When the Virtus Governing Board met recently, we discussed the work that has been done by Virtus in this area, but ultimately the decision and responsibility lies with IPC and the International Federations of sport”.

“Our priority is the inclusion of Nordic and Alpine Skiing in the 2030 Winter Paralympic Games and we call upon the Federation of International Skiing- FIS to share this commitment in their plans which must be submitted to IPC by the end of January 2024. Secondly, we would also like to see basketball added back to the Summer Games programme for athletes with an intellectual impairment”.

“And Virtus will continue to work closely with several International Federations who have indicated a willingness to target inclusion in future Games helping to develop classification systems and growing the competition base”.

Earlier at the 2023 Virtus Global Games in Vichy, France, President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, also shared how important athletes with intellectual impairments are for the Paralympic movement.

“At the IPC, we are committed to working with Virtus and international federations to develop greater opportunities for athletes with intellectual impairment to compete at the highest level in the Paralympic movement,” said Andrew Parsons.

“It gives me great satisfaction that this time we are seeing for the very first time II1, II2 and II3 classes here. Congratulations to Virtus, this is such an achievement. And make no mistake, athletes with intellectual impairment,  trisomy 21, Down syndrome, athletes with autism, YOU EXIST and therefore you are important for the International Paralympic Committee.”

Athletes with an intellectual impairment are the largest impairment group by number worldwide but the least represented in the Paralympic Games. Currently, athletes are eligible for a limited medal programme in athletics, swimming and table tennis.