All eyes are on Paris, and why not? The City of Light, Paris, is hosting the 2024 Olympics, the grandest sporting event on the planet. Athletes, sports enthusiasts, and fans from across the globe have flocked to the French capital. Not to mention the countless tourists eager to experience Paris.
There are numerous reasons why the Paris Olympics are unique. For instance, it's been 100 years since Paris last hosted the Olympics in 1924. Additionally, Paris joins London as the only cities to have hosted the Olympics three times, following 1900 and 1924 previously. London hosted in 1908, 1948, and 2012.
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This is also the first Olympic Games to achieve gender parity on the field of play, meaning an equal number of male and female athletes are participating. A total of 10,500 athletes are competing in the 2024 Olympics, including 5,250 men and 5,250 women.
Additionally, this has been termed the most family-friendly Olympics in history. A special nursery has been created where Olympian parents can spend time with their children during the event. This nursery resides in the Olympic Village.
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The list of accolades and arrangements for the Paris Olympics is extensive. However, these accomplishments pale in comparison to the personal journeys, dedication to the sport, and the sheer determination to achieve greatness on the grandest stage by the athletes. Every athlete participating in the Olympics is unique. Each has their own journey to the Olympic stage. But in this congregation of the world's finest athletes, some names stand out with journeys so compelling you could capture them on a canvas and stare endlessly. Their stories could be heard on loop with closed eyes, and their cinematic lives deserve continuous admiration.
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Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez, Indian shooter Manu Bhaker, Chinese-Chilean table tennis player Zhiying Zeng, 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, and 65-year-old Spanish equestrian Juan Antonio Jiménez are among the names participating in the Paris Olympics 2024. Their journeys are more inspiring than any motivational speech. Additionally, retired swimmer and Syrian civil war refugee Yusra Mardini, who participated in the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is now taking on a new role at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Nada Hafez
26-year-old Nada Hafez is an Egyptian fencer. Nada won her first individual event against a USA athlete. However, she lost in the next round to a Korean athlete. Up to this point, everything seemed normal. But then Nada's Instagram post left everyone in awe.
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After being eliminated in the final 16, Nada revealed that she was not just an Olympian but a '7-month pregnant Olympian.' While fending off attacks from opponents, there was a seven-month-old future Olympian in her belly also participating in the event with her.
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On her Instagram account, Nada wrote, 'You see two athletes on the podium, but in reality, there were three! Me, my opponent, and my unborn baby girl! Balancing life and sport has been tough, but it was worth the struggle.'
Manu Bhaker
Manu Bhaker, the first Indian athlete to win two medals at a single Olympics post-independence, has an equally inspiring comeback story. Shooter Manu Bhaker managed to secure the first medal for India at the Paris Olympics, but her path to this achievement was filled with highs and lows. Her story starts with the previous Olympics (Tokyo 2020, held in 2021 due to COVID-19). All eyes were on Manu, and the whole country had high hopes for her. She was in excellent form.
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Having secured a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games at just 16, Bhaker was the youngest Indian athlete to achieve that feat. But despite her excellent form and promising track record, she ended the 2020 Olympics without any medals, leading to significant criticism and removal from the national squad.
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Thanks to the 'Still I Rise' tattoo on her neck, Manu Bhaker found the courage to rise again. 'Still I Rise' is a poem by Maya Angelou, a poet and human rights activist. Speaking to BBC about her tattoo, Bhaker said, 'Still I Rise - are not just words, it is a phenomenon. It represents proving oneself even during tough times. These words are a source of inspiration for me. They reinforce my determination, and regardless of how many failures I face, I know I will rise again.'
The journey from returning empty-handed from Tokyo in 2021 to climbing the podium twice in Paris 2024 fills one with pride and inspiration.
Yusra Mardini
Yusra Mardini is a Syrian refugee who had to flee her country at just 16. Mardini and her sister decided to escape Syria in August 2015 due to the ongoing war. The sisters first reached Lebanon, then traveled to Turkey by plane. From Turkey, they boarded a boat to Greece, but what should have been a 40-45 minute boat ride turned into a 3-hour ordeal. Overloaded and old, the boat broke down, initiating another journey for the sisters. Yusra and her sister Sarah, along with two other individuals, swam to push the boat filled with 16 people to the shore over three strenuous hours.
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After numerous hardships, Mardini and her sister finally made it to Berlin, where they rebuilt their lives as refugees. Yusra resumed her swimming coaching and was part of the 10-athlete refugee team competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Yusra's journey from Syria to Berlin, and her participation in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, serves as an inspiration for many.
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A movie based on Mardini's struggles and journey has already been made. The 2-hour and 14-minute film 'The Swimmers,' available on Netflix, is based on her life. Though Mardini is present at the Paris Olympics 2024, she has taken on a new role this time. She can be seen covering the Refugee Olympic Team for Discovery as a reporter for Eurosport.
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Zhiying Zeng
Chile's table tennis player Zhiying Zeng made her Olympic debut at the age of 58. Born in China, Zeng started her table tennis journey there but realized her Olympic dream playing for Chile in 2024. At 16, Zeng was selected for the Chinese national team but couldn't fulfill her dream of playing in the Olympics. Rule changes forced her into early retirement.
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Before the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the Two-Colour Rule was introduced in table tennis. This meant that both sides of the paddle could no longer be the same color. The rule change disadvantaged Zeng, whose strength was spinning her paddle to confuse opponents. The new rule allowed opponents to predict her moves easily, turning her strength into a weakness.
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In 1989, Zeng received an offer to coach table tennis at a school in Chile, which she accepted. She resumed playing, winning two national tournaments in 2004 and 2005. Later, she paused her journey to focus on her son's table tennis career. During COVID-19 in 2020, Zeng picked up table tennis again to stay fit, eventually realizing her Olympic dream at age 58 in 2024.
Juan Antonio Jiménez
65-year-old Jiménez is an equestrian. Competing for Spain, Jiménez is the oldest Olympian at Paris 2024. Although 69-year-old Australian equestrian Mary Hanna is also in Paris, she is part of a reserve team that is not competing, making Jiménez the oldest competing Olympian in 2024.
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Jiménez previously participated in dressage events at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics. He has no individual medals but was part of the Spanish team that won a silver medal in the team dressage event at the Athens Olympics.
Zheng Haohao
At just 11 years and 11 months old, skateboarder Zheng Haohao is the youngest athlete at Paris. She started playing and learning the sport at seven. You can see her compete in this event on August 6th.
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At an age when most children rely on their mothers to pack lunches for school, Zheng shoulders the expectations of millions as she competes in the Paris Olympics 2024. Note that skateboarding was first included as an Olympic sport in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
