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Polish Paralympian gets global award: interview

16.09.2021 22:30
Katarzyna Rogowiec, a former Paralympic cross-country skiing champion, has won the I'mPOSSIBLE award from the International Paralympic Committee for contributing to a more inclusive world.  
Audio
Katarzyna Rogowiec.
Katarzyna Rogowiec.Photo: PAP/Bartłomiej Zborowski

The prestigious accolade was presented at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games earlier this month, with just one male and one female para-athlete from around the globe decorated for bringing about a more disability-inclusive reality.

Rogowiec lost both forearms in a farming accident at the age of three, yet through studious rehabilitation she learned to live independently.

Thanks to extraordinary persistence, she managed to obtain an economics degree, learned English and Italian, and became a travel guide.

The former champion also set up her own foundation, called Avanti, to show children and young people that there is life with disability and that sport is a boon for everyone.

"Sport changed everything in my life and taught me so much," Rogowiec told Danuta Isler.

Click on the audio player above to listen.