By: Heather Chou & the UCLA DCP team
1. Ryley Batt: A “Murderball” Icon
Known as wheelchair rugby, this sport truly lives up to its nickname: “Murderball.” And Ryley Batt, the captain of the Australian wheelchair rugby team, the Steelers, is all in. Even though Australia came short of a few points to winning the bronze medal against Japan, the fiery passion and determination of Batt, who has competed in four Paralympic Games and is a one-of-a-kind rugby star, still shone brilliantly through leading a mostly rookie team. Now that is the true rugby spirit!
2. The United States “Drip House” Goes Hard for Wheelchair Basketball
Who else does wheelchair basketball better than “The Drip House?” 😎 The United States Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team took home the gold in the final event at the Tokyo Paralympics, rounding out the United States’ total with 104 medals (3rd most total medals and 3rd most gold). As nervous as we were, the United States pulled through in the 4th quarter against the Japanese team with a close final score of 64-60, continuing their gold medal reign from the 2016 Rio Games.
Also, if you were still wondering as to what “The Drip House” is referring to, check out the team’s first vlog of “The Drip House” posted by Jorge Sanchez. We’ll just say they really rocked their kicks on the court 👑.
3. The Most Precise Sport: You Probably Don’t Know about Boccia, but You Should Learn!
To get the ball right in between and on top of two other balls takes incredible precision and intense concentration. And on Day 11 during the BC1/BC2 final medal match against China, Thailand’s Huadpradit Witsanu did just that. Check out Witsanu’s precise shot and the Thailand team’s gold medal win in this Boccia highlight video. To learn even more about Boccia, which is one of the two Paralympic sports without an Olympic counterpart, check this super cool video.
4. If You Thought You Needed Arms to Play Table Tennis… You’d be WRONG!
Nothing can stop this table tennis player from living his dream to the fullest. Meet Ibrahim Hamadtou of Egypt, the table tennis player who relies on his mouth and feet to play absolute fire table tennis. At 10 years old, he had lost his arms in a train accident, but even then, Ibrahim’s table tennis skills are incomparably awesome. Watch this snippet of Ibrahim’s game against Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
5. Abject Absence to Astounding Arrival: Afghanistan’s Athletes
Even the warring Taliban conflict in Afghanistan could not stop two Afghan athletes from competing in the Tokyo Paralympic Games. With the absence of the Afghan duo at the Opening Ceremony, something felt missing and incomplete. So, with international help, an emergency evacuation plan was set forth to successfully bring the Afghan athletes out of Afghanistan to Paris, where they took some time to safely recuperate before flying out to compete in Tokyo. While Hossain Rasouli competed in the Men’s Long Jump T47, Zakia Khudadadi was Afghanistan's first female Paralympian since 2004 and competed in the brand-new Paralympic sport of Taekwondo. Although the duo did not medal, they lived their Paralympic dream and proved nothing could stop them from doing so 👑.
6. Towering for Gold! : Morteza Dominates the Court
Just imagine being the joint second tallest man in the world… Then imagine just smacking down a volleyball with just one outstretched arm reach and not having to get up or jump. At 8 feet 1 inches, Morteza Mehrzadselakjani led the Iranian Men’s Sitting Volleyball team to lock in their SEVENTH consecutive gold medal since the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. Check out this clip of Morteza and the Iranian team absolutely killing the final game on the court.
7. 19 and Golden: It’s Ntandu Mahlangu!
At just 19 years old in his second Paralympic Games, Ntandu Mahlangu of South Africa jumped for the gold and a world record with 7.17 meters (that’s 23.52 feet!) in the Men’s Long Jump T63 final! It’s even more impressive because Ntandu is a T61 athlete, meaning he has a more severe disability than the people in that event who were in the T63 class! But Ntandu’s “Cheetah Blades” and fiery energy did not stop there. He also took home his second gold medal for the Tokyo Games in the Men’s 200m T61 with a time of 23.59 seconds, which is only 0.56 seconds away from the world record! It’s Ntandu’s world and we’re just living in it 😌.
Check out this video of his incredible jump and this replay of his 200m win!
8. Bebe: The Ultimate Fencing Babe🤺
Bebe Vio, Italy’s wheelchair fencing sensation, will make you fall in love with her sport, without a doubt. With her contagious smile and fiery adrenaline, the legendary fencing queen fenced her way to her second gold since the 2016 Rio Games in the Women’s Foil Individual Category B. Please, allow Vio’s fencing love and energy pour into you as you watch this fencing finals highlight video.
9. Blind Soccer (Football) is a Thing!? Yes. And Brazil Dominates.
Football 5-a-side, or “blind football,” wouldn’t be complete without the beautiful weaving and upper 90 shot by Brazil’s Raimundo Mendes, who sent the team to the podium with their FIFTH consecutive gold medal in Football 5-a-side against long-time rival Argentina. Since the sport’s debut in the 2004 Athens Games, Brazil has been the reigning champion ever since, and the sport’s spirit runs strong in the Brazilian team. Watch the Brazilian team make their golden shot in this video.
10. What Makes a Perfect Proposal? Rain? Check. Love? Check! A Paralympic Games? Check, Check, Check! 💜
The sweetest thing happened on the track after the women’s 200m T11 event when guide Manuel Antonio Vaz da Veiga proposed to athlete Keula Nidreia Pereira Semedo of Cape Verde. Watch the super adorable proposal in this video. For us, we’ll be right back, just crying of happiness 🥰.
11. Marathon Queens!
Were we literally on the edge of chairs watching the Paralympic marathon wheelchair racers and runners? Oh yes, we really were. And racing in the freaking rain is definitely no easy feat. Madison de Rozario of Australia, who is also a model and disability advocate (we love her off the track too), snatched the gold with an astounding Paralympic record time of 1:38:11 in the Women’s T54 Marathon from the world-record holder Manuela Schaer of Switzerland by just 0.01 seconds! Let’s also note that Madison is a T53 athlete, meaning she has a more severe disability than those in this event who raced in the T54 class! Michishita Misato of Japan and her trusty guide also led the host country to win their final gold in the Women’s T12 Marathon with an impressive Paralympic record time of 3:00:50! Watch her and her guide make the exciting sprint for the finish here! And keep in mind again: all these races took place in the rain: absolutely mind-blowing!
12. What’s Better Than Being Elite in One Sport? Being Elite in Three!: A Sprint to the Triathlon Finish Line
Ah, triathlons, the fearsome threesome of the sports world. And who crushed all three better than Kendall Gretsch of the United States and Lauren Parker of Australia. But even more insane was when Kendall Gretsch sprinted for the gold with only 1 second setting her apart from her Australian opponent!
13. Pregnant Paralympian!? Heck Yes!
Oh baby, your mama’s a champion! Competing in sitting volleyball for her fifth Paralympic Games while 20 weeks pregnant is nothing new for Lora Webster of the United States. In fact, she’s done this twice! And having a fourth baby definitely did not hold her back from winning a gold at Tokyo and sharing the good news with her team and the world. Watch this queen (with Baby Webster on board!) take on the court with her teammates as the US strikes gold in their final match against China.