![]() Sitting volleyball champion Monique Matthews said she hoped that the visibility of the event would help raise funds for her husband Landon’s surgery: I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion.” “I hope that any young LGBTQ person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone and that you can achieve anything, and there is a whole lot of your chosen family out here ready to support you. ![]() Tom Daley, a British diver who won his first gold medal of his career at these Olympics, used the opportunity to send a message to the LGBTQ community: Tokyo 2020 also welcomed a record number of LGBTQ athletes to the Games, with more than 150 publicly-out Olympic athletes and at least 28 out-and-proudParalympians – making Tokyo 2020 one of the most inclusive sporting events ever. LGBTQ Representation Paves the Way for Love & Inclusion But we all have to accept and accept each other the way we are.” – Abbas Karami, Afghani refugee and Paralympic swimmer “No one is the same in this world and everyone is different. At age 16, Abbas began a long and harrowing journey that led him to Turkey and eventually, to Portland, Oregon in the US where he now lives and trains. Originally from Afghanistan, Abbas was born without any arms. I am sending a message that refugees won’t give up easily and will keep on dreaming even after going through tough journeys.” – Yusra Mardini, Syrian refugee and Olympic swimmerįellow swimmer and refugee Abbas Karami also competed in Tokyo 2020 as part of the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Refugee Team and made history as the first refugee athlete to compete at the Paralympic Finals in the 50-meter butterfly. A refugee means a person who is seeking a refuge, a place where they want to stay safe. A refugee is a human being like any other. Swimming has saved her life in more ways than one. ![]() After reaching safety and settling in Germany, she joined a swim club and has never looked back. One of the Refugee team’s shining stars is Yusra Mardini who during her escape from Syria, survived by swimming more than three hours across the sea to Greece while dragging a failing lifeboat behind her. Together, these athletes are giving hope to more than 80 million forcibly displaced people around the world. Today, the team has grown to include 29 athletes who exemplify the ability of sport to create opportunities for inspiration, inclusion, and compassion. Refugee Olympic & Paralympic Teams Personify Inspiration, Inclusion & CompassionĬreated by IOC President Thomas Bach, the Refugee Olympic Team first participated in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with a small group of 10 athletes.
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