Fighting for Inclusion: "My disability won't stop me from achieving victory"
Dany Dann and Ezra Frech, World para athletics 2023Athletes Ezra Frech, Nantenin Keita and Davide Morana don’t compete in the same category, but they all have something in common: they have overcome their disability and are now fulfilling their potential through their sporting careers. And they have all joined Team Sanofi for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Portraits.
Ezra Frech, the young prodigy soaring over competitions
Aged only 18, Ezra Frech is a stunning young man. At the last Milan Fashion Week, he dazzled the front row at the Hugo Boss show. But his talent lies elsewhere. In 2019, at the age of 14, he became the youngest athlete to compete in the World Para Athletics Championships. A year later, he took part in the Tokyo Paralympic Games, where he finished 5th in the high jump. He then went on to win the world title at the Paris World Para Athletics in July 2023, and broke two records in the discipline, clearing the bar at 1.91 m and 1.95 m. "It's true that I'm young, but to (motivated, editor’s note) souls, true value doesn’t need the test of time”, to quote playwright Pierre Corneille.
"I've always loved sport," says Ezra Frech over the phone. "Depending on the seasons, I used to play basketball, football, karate or swim". Ezra was born with congenital limb differences, missing his left knee and left fibula, and fingers on his left hand. Aged three, he had surgery to remove the lower, non-functional part of his left leg. But that didn't stop him from developing a burning love for sport. Talking about his disciplines, the high jump, long jump and 100 m sprint, Ezra says he loves "that feeling of flying, jumping and soaring above the ground thanks to the speed" of his running.
I want to have an impact, to be someone who has helped advance the cause.
Ezra Frech
Team Sanofi, World champion in T63 High jump
"I fell head over heels in love with athletics while watching the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016. Seeing these athletes compete, who I met and saw as mentors, lit a spark inside". The spark was so strong that Ezra entered the next Games.
On top of his sporting success, Ezra works with his family to raise awareness of disability and inclusion. In 2013, the Frech family founded Angel City Sports, an NGO that campaigns for better access to sport for people with disabilities.
Ezra's dream for Paris 2024 is for gold. "I'd like to be a role model for the community, in all modesty, of course," he laughs. "Yes, I dream of gold from the Games, but it goes beyond that, I think. I want to have an impact, to be someone who has helped advance the cause". And we are rooting for him.
On top of his sporting success, Ezra works with his family to raise awareness of disability and inclusion. In 2013, the Frech family founded Angel City Sports, an NGO that campaigns for better access to sport for people with disabilities.
Ezra's dream for Paris 2024 is for gold. "I'd like to be a role model for the community, in all modesty, of course," he laughs. "Yes, I dream of gold from the Games, but it goes beyond that, I think. I want to have an impact, to be someone who has helped advance the cause". And we are rooting for him.
Nantenin Keita, or when "difference means strength".
I'm albino and visually impaired. But at the Games, I'm an athlete.
Nantenin Keita
Team Sanofi, Para athletics
Nantenin Keita is an inspiration. At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games the French-Malian sprinter made our dream come true by running around the Maracana stadium in 55.78 seconds and won gold medal in the T13 (visually impaired) category. This was not her first Paralympic Olympic title. In 2008, she won bronze at the Beijing Games in the 400 m race and in 2012 in London she won bronze again, this time in the 100 m sprint.
Like Ezra Frech and Davide Morana, and all the other athletes on Team Sanofi, Nantenin is known for her commitment. At the 2017 session of the International Olympic Committee in Lima, Peru, when Paris won the honour to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, she made a powerful statement: "Being different has always been part of my life. I'm albino and visually impaired. But at the Games, I'm an athlete. Because at the Games, there are as many countries as there are disabilities, and difference has its rightful place. At the Games, difference means strength. "
She just missed a medal at the Paris World Para Athletics in July 2023 since, as she confided in a podcast, a recent injury had given her no chance to train. For the next Games, Nantenin, who is approaching 40, will give her best to the public.
Like Ezra Frech and Davide Morana, and all the other athletes on Team Sanofi, Nantenin is known for her commitment. At the 2017 session of the International Olympic Committee in Lima, Peru, when Paris won the honour to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, she made a powerful statement: "Being different has always been part of my life. I'm albino and visually impaired. But at the Games, I'm an athlete. Because at the Games, there are as many countries as there are disabilities, and difference has its rightful place. At the Games, difference means strength. "
She just missed a medal at the Paris World Para Athletics in July 2023 since, as she confided in a podcast, a recent injury had given her no chance to train. For the next Games, Nantenin, who is approaching 40, has promised to give her all to her French fans.
Davide Morana or the fury of life on the track
I firmly believe that sport is a great way to overcome many challenges.
Davide Morana
Team Sanofi, Para athletics
His commitment and joie de vivre have touched and inspired hundreds of thousands of people on social networks. The morning we interviewed him, he was brimming with enthusiasm. Aged 24, the Italian athlete caught meningococcal C meningitis and lost all four limbs. " Before catching meningitis, I used to be very active. I firmly believe that sport is a great way to overcome many challenges. In fact, before meningitis, it helped me control my diabetes."
His commitment and joie de vivre have touched and inspired hundreds of thousands of people on social networks. The morning we interviewed him, he was brimming with enthusiasm. Aged 24, the Italian athlete caught meningococcal C meningitis and lost all four limbs. " Before catching meningitis, I used to be very active. I firmly believe that sport is a great way to overcome many challenges. In fact, before meningitis, it helped me control my diabetes."
Davide Morana began to share his story from his hospital bed. "After sharing my story on Facebook and Instagram, I came across other athletes' testimonials. It made me realise that I could be active again". He started using his prosthetic limbs to get back into sport during his four months of rehabilitation: "That's really when I rediscovered the sensations in my body".
Davide, athlete and meningococcal meningitis survivor
Three years later, in 2021, the para-athlete became the Italian champion in the 100 m sprint. And the following year, he was Italian champion in both the 100 m and 200 m sprints. In 2023, he was co-creator of the Meningitis Flag with Théo Currin and Ellie Challis, two other para-athletes. He is also an ambassador for the Spanish association against meningitis, a fight he actively promotes on his social networks. His motto "Arriba la vida" ("Go on, live", in Spanish) is also the name of the book in which he and his girlfriend tell the story of his journey.
Three years later, in 2021, the para-athlete became the Italian champion in the 100 m sprint. And the following year, he was Italian champion in both the 100 m and 200 m sprints. In 2023, he was co-creator of the Meningitis Flag with Théo Currin and Ellie Challis, two other para-athletes. He is also an ambassador for the Spanish association against meningitis, a fight he actively promotes on his social networks. His motto "Arriba la vida" ("Go on, live", in Spanish) is also the name of the book in which he and his girlfriend tell the story of his journey.
"It's important to me to talk about my disability. It might seem strange, but I like showing my scars, they mean so much to me," he says with a smile. "I'm a survivor, but I want to show people that the world is full of opportunities". For his 30th birthday, Davide Morana hopes to qualify for Paris 2024. "It would be my first Games; if I qualify, it will be a dream come true. I want to enjoy every moment and every race. What matters most to me is to be there! " And what counts is taking part, as Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, once said.
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