Nantenin Keita: 🇫🇷 The French Sprinter is Excited to Compete on Home Soil

Published: Aug 26, 2024 Duration: 00:02:54 Category: Sports

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My name is Nantenin Keita, I am a French Para athletics athlete. I was born with albinism with a significant visual impairment. Beyond the visual impairment, I am very sensitive to sun rays and brightness. My first Games were in Beijing in 2008 and it was just crazy, because it was my first Games, because everyone was talking about the Games and saying “You'll see, the Games are amazing. These are so beautiful moments.” I didn't understand what was actually changing. And when I arrived at the Games, I saw we weren't only Para athletics, all sports were there, there was an Opening Ceremony, there was the flame lightning, I said to myself “Oh yeah, ok, now I understand what is the difference.” And I said “yes, here we are in the biggest competition of the world. If you are a Paralympic champion, you are the strongest in the world. When I was young, I heard a lot “You can’t do it, you can’t do it, you can’t do it.” Para sport showed me what I was capable of doing in terms of confidence, also in terms of self-esteem. It really helped me. And then it allowed me to meet extraordinary people that I probably wouldn't have met if I hadn't practised Para sport. That why for me, it's important to bring young people into sport and into Para sport to show them they have abilities. There are possibilities and that it’s also possible to dream big and to do things which, initially, and I insist on “initially”, society tells us it's not made for us. Paris 2024 is, about sport, is for the show to be beautiful for the performance to be crazy. I would also like that by the end of Paris 2024, people had fun, that the human adventure was beautiful and that people would said “Yes, I did it. I had to be in Paris 2024, I was in Paris 2024 and Paris 2024 was sick.” Not everyone will be Paralympic champion, but if, thanks to Paris 2024, we manage to bring young people, to practise any sporting activity, I think we will also have win something. We are expecting many of you !

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