Multiple professional athletes were saved by practicing the sports they love and compete in each year.
Emma Lund was one of those athletes. The 26-year-old woman overcame depression and bullying that came from her cerebral palsy (Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affects the ability of a person to move and stay in balance). The sport that helped her heal is para-cycling. “When I started cycling, it was the first time I felt like, ‘I’m good at something. And that someone suddenly couldn’t come and take that away from me. It gave me some confidence,” explained Emma Lund. As she progressed in her favorite sport so did her recovery from her depression. This extraordinary woman will be competing in the cycling event in the Paralympics of 2024.
Another one of those athletes competing in the Paralympics is Bruna Alexandre, a 28-year-old Brazilian woman who will be competing in table tennis. What makes this person special is her missing right arm, amputated as a result of thrombosis – A blood clot – when she was born. This missing limb made her a victim of bullying. Bruna was then inspired to play this sport by Natalia Partyka, who is missing her forearm and still competes at table tennis with her left arm. The Brazilian player made an Olympic and Paralympic debut at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. This led to inspiring multiple other people to compete in both categories as Bruna did.
Last but not least is the French-Canadian Boxer Georges Saint-Pierre. This 42-year-old man suffered from intimidation from his classmates when he was young. The bullies used to hit him, steal his food, and threaten him. When it was enough, George’s father initiated him into karate. He received his black belt when he was only 12 years old. At 16, when his old karate instructor died, he saw a video of Royce Gracie and George was immediately attracted to this sport. With his experience from his old sports, Georges Saint-Pierre rose quickly in the ranks. This man now has his business aiming towards putting an end to bullying among young people and promoting physical activities in schools around Quebec. George also became an actor and has the UFC record for the most championship victories.
All of those athletes used their trauma from the past to motivate them to do the things they compete in each day.
