Avani Lekhara Wins a Historic Second Gold in Paralympic Shooting
Avani Lekhara, 22, has been paralyzed from the waist down since a car crash when she was 11. Lekhara, a sharpshooter, made history as the first Indian woman to receive a Paralympic gold medal in 2020, winning the 10m air rifle. She then won bronze in the 50m, becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals in the games. Last week, she defended her title in the 10m by winning another gold in the event, solidifying her spot on top of the podium.
Woodhall Proud of Paralympic Performance, Draws Inspiration From Wife Tara
Tara Davis-Woodhall went viral for jumping into her husband’s arms after winning gold in the women’s long jump at the Olympics. Later, in the Paralympics, the spotlight turned to her husband Hunter Woodhall, a fellow track and field athlete. A double amputee with three medals to his name, Woodhall said that he was proud of himself for finishing as the second-fastest double amputee in the over 100m race. Woodhall, who met his wife at a high school track event, credits their relationship as a major inspiration for competing: “There’s zero chance that we would be doing what we’re doing if we didn’t have each other.” Woodhall won a gold medal in the men’s 400m race on Friday.
Paralympic Refugee Team Wins First Medal
Zakia Khudadadi was born in Afghanistan in 1998 and started competing in Para sports at age nine. When the Taliban rose, she was forced to flee and became a refugee in Paris. Just 8 days ago, on August 29th, she made history as the first Refugee Paralympic Team athlete to medal. She received a bronze medal in taekwondo after defeating Turkish athlete Nurcihan Ekinci. Amidst her win, Khudadadi has not forgotten all the Afghan women under Taliban rule. She expressed the hope that one day the women and girls in her country, as well as refugees across the globe, will be free. Khudadadi stated her hope that her win will inspire other Afghan women to pursue their dreams and “win one day.” She is now focusing on training to win gold at the 2028 Paralympics.
Brazil Loses Blind Football Streak to Argentina
On Thursday, blind football team Argentina faced off against Brazil in one of the most notable matches of the event thus far. Osvaldo Fernandez scored the winning kick for Brazil at the Eiffel Tower Stadium and reflected on his journey to get to this moment. “When I was walking to the ball, I was thinking about my dad, my nephew, my family and the cancer that I just overcame two years ago. The chemo – everything. I thought about everything. That’s why I started crying when we won,” he said. Argentina’s win landed them in the blind football finals on Saturday, September 7.
Martin De La Puente Clinches Victory Against Stephane Houdet In The Wheelchair Tennis Quarter-Final
Martin De La Puente took home the victory against Frenchman Stephane Houdet in the wheelchair tennis quarter-final. The 25-year-old had the challenge of facing Houdet in the latter’s home country, where fans didn’t hold back their cheers and screams for their representative. The match took place at the historic Philippe clay court, which also happens to be where the French Open is played. While Martin described the noise levels as tough to deal with when most were cheering against him at the International Paralympic Committee, he later said it was the “best atmosphere of his career” and he hopes the same crowd is “still there next time.” His victory makes him the first Spanish player to reach the wheelchair tennis semi-finals. De La Puente has talked at length about his pride in representing his home country, and has said the match was “the best day of his life so far.”
