EPISODE · Sep 3, 2021 · 25 MIN
'We found our first Paralympian at the supermarket'
from Access All: Disability News and Mental Health · host BBC Sounds
Aruba had never had a Paralympic team until Shardea Arias de la Cruz, a student in her 20s, decided to make it happen.From finding her first athlete at the supermarket, to his sudden disappearance at the Rio Games, it has been a story of jeopardy, hustling and absolute belief. The charismatic Elliott Loonstra is the island's hope for Tokyo 2020. After working at a scuba dive shop at the weekends and spending his week-days training on Aruba's idyllic beaches, Elliott's ready to take on Tokyo in the para-taekwondo. And it's the first time the sport has featured at a Paralympic Games.Presented by Beth Rose.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.
What this episode covers
Aruba had never had a Paralympic team until Shardea Arias de la Cruz, a student in her 20s, decided to make it happen.From finding her first athlete at the supermarket, to his sudden disappearance at the Rio Games, it has been a story of jeopardy, hustling and absolute belief. The charismatic Elliott Loonstra is the island's hope for Tokyo 2020. After working at a scuba dive shop at the weekends and spending his week-days training on Aruba's idyllic beaches, Elliott's ready to take on Tokyo in the para-taekwondo. And it's the first time the sport has featured at a Paralympic Games.Presented by Beth Rose.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.
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'We found our first Paralympian at the supermarket'
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