We believe there’s a superhero in each of us. True Superheroes celebrates people who’ve overcome adversity, made amazing contributions to society, and inspired others to do the same. Each week we nominate people in different fields. This week we focus on Paralympians.
Alex Zanardi
Alex Zanardi was an IndyCar and F1 star before a horrific accident saw him lose his legs. But Zanardi didn’t give up on racing - both in cars and on bikes. He took up handcycling, won multiple marathons and two Paralympic Golds, and set up a charity to help children who’ve lost limbs. In 2020, Zanardi suffered a significant head injury in the Italian National handcycle championship, but no one is writing off this superhero yet.
American Paralympic swimmer Anastasia Pagonis began losing her eyesight due to a rare disease at the age of 11 but used sport to combat the darkness. After breaking two world records and winning Paralympic Gold for Team USA she became a social media star, vlogging and sharing insights into blindness and bullying with her 2m TikTok followers.
Born in war-torn Kabul without arms, Abbas Karimi found peace in the community swimming pool built by his brother. Afghanistan wasn’t safe, however, so the teenager began his long journey through refugee camps to Portland, Oregon with the help of a retired US teacher and the UN. He competed internationally for the Refugee Paralympic Team, winning Silver in 2017, and now works with the UNHCR as an advocate for the positive impact of sport.
There are many True Superheroes in the field of Paralympic athletes. This is just the start of SPYSCAPE’s True Superheroes journey. We will be selecting more candidates and we encourage YOU to nominate YOUR favorites.
