The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games end on September 8 with the closing ceremony. But some people aren’t in the mood to party yet, because they have events to face and medals to go for. In the weightlifting category, it will be time for the strongest, with the +107 kg. This is the category where we find Ghanaian Tahiru Haruna. His life changed dramatically at the age of 3. Getting back into it was a long fight, which he won with the help of his very large biceps.
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With our special correspondent for the 2024 Paralympic Games, Francois Mazet
When Tahiru Haruna lifts 200 kg of iron in training, the smile he wears the rest of the time fades behind a smirk. When I am on the bench, it is as if I am carrying the whole country, so I feel that I cannot disappoint my country and the whole African continent. ” he says.
His leg was crushed by a tractor when he was 3 years old. He then spent nine years in hospital. After his release, this strong man with dreadlocks found salvation in sports where his natural strength wreaked havoc. Starting with arm wrestling. At that time I was selling phones on the streethe says. I saw an ad for a national championship, I wanted to register and I was told to give it a try. It was designed for able-bodied people but I managed. I finished 3rd and I was selected to represent Ghana at the African Championships. There, the former coach told me about weightlifting, that once I returned home, I should go see his contact. That’s where I started from December 2017. Now I do both “.
” I am proud of myself, of my disability, no one can make me doubt »
Now 30, Tahiru Haruna is enjoying her first Paralympic Gamesstarted as the standard-bearer of the Ghanaproud and comfortable in his own skin. Sometimes, seeing able-bodied people, I felt bad.he confides. But it is this disability that brought me here, to a place that I would never have reached with two legs. Sport has built my mental strength, my physique, my health. People have come closer to me because you know, sport is unity, love and friendship. I feel good, I am proud of myself, of my disability, no one can make me doubt “.
Ninth performer at the start, he knows that he will have to improve his personal record of 225 kg to aim for a medal.