Paralympics 2024: How Australia helped Kiribati field its first Paralympian
You may not have heard of Ongiou Timeon but Australia has played a part in his remarkable rise to become his country’s first Paralympian as he gets set to compete at the Paris Games.
You may not have heard of Ongiou Timeon but Australia has played a part in his remarkable rise to become his country’s first Paralympian.
Hailing from the Pacific nation of Kiribati, Timeon has only been to Australia once and it was a journey he will never forget.
The 35-year-old, who lives with a vision impairment, travelled to the Queensland State Championships in March 2020 which was also an international classification event.
As Covid started to wreak havoc across the globe, the Kiribati government mandated all every person returning from Australia go into quarantine in a country free from the disease.
Along with his coach Karotu Bakae and countryman Karae Tioti they boarded a flight to Fiji on March 6 expecting a 14-day stay.
The nightmare was only beginning with Fiji Airways suspending all international flights on March 23 until further notice.
“I was desperate and lonely for nine months as I did not expect to be stuck in Fiji for so long.,” he said.
“However, I was always grateful for the support from the Oceania Paralympic Committee, Kiribati Government and the comfort I had from my coach.
“I haven’t been to Australia since 2020. I hope I will have another opportunity to visit Australia to compete in the future.
“Who knows I might show up in Brisbane in 2032.”
Timeon will compete in the men’s F11 shot put in Paris on September 2.
No matter the result, he has already made history after carrying his country’s flag in the opening ceremony.
“It is a dream to be in Paris at the Paralympic Games and I am honoured to represent my country to compete against the best around the world,” he said.
“Although it is the first time for me, I will try my very best to fight fairly during this event.
“My encouragement is to all disabled people back home so that we can achieve our dream if we work hard for it.”
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