Abel Aber

Started: He took up the sport in 2019 after previously being involved in boxing. "I did a talent try-out in 2019 with the French Paralympic Committee, and I started investing myself seriously in the sport in 2020. Since the Paralympics are taking place in Paris in 2024, I want to be there as an athlete. But boxing is not one of the Paralympic disciplines, so I took part in a screening by the French Paralympic Sports Committee and discovered Para canoe." (360-ot.de, 05 Apr 2024; Facebook page, 05 Oct 2023; centpourcent-vosges.fr, 04 May 2023) Reason: After he lost his leg he did sports as a form of therapy, including boxing and Muay Thai. His potential was then spotted by the French Paralympic and Sports Committee during talent identification and he was introduced to Para canoe. "I first did boxing to get back on my feet before turning to Para canoe. I got on well with the representative from the French canoe-kayak federation, and I like challenges so I thought, 'Why not?' It's a dynamic and explosive sport, similar to boxing, that takes place in a beautiful water setting. You have to be in good shape for this sport, which I was when I transitioned from boxing." (centpourcent-vosges.fr, 06 Dec 2023; Facebook page, 05 Oct 2023; France 3 Grand Est YouTube channel, 26 Jun 2023) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (360-ot.de, 05 Apr 2024) Additional Info: COMBAT SPORTS He has competed in boxing and coached Muay Thai. He says that boxing helped him recover from the loss of his leg following a scooter accident. "I wasn't feeling well mentally at all and I found it very difficult to accept my amputation. One day a friend told me about boxing. But of course it was complicated on one leg, so I tried to get back on two legs using a prosthesis. Little by little I began to accept wearing a prosthesis. With time and acceptance, I became more and more used to walking with the prosthesis, and my orthopaedic technician was able to gradually adapt it to my needs. Since sport is very important to me, my technician also had to quickly make me a special prosthesis for boxing. As soon as I was back on my feet, as they say, in 2006, I started boxing and it was a real life school for me. Sport helped me channel my energy. I then completed several coaching courses myself and worked as a boxing trainer. I always wanted to improve my own performance and my challenge was to get into the ring as a Para athlete. I practised this sport for several years until, in 2018, I even competed in classic boxing against amateurs without prosthetics. This was a great achievement for me, but it required a lot of commitment and consistency." (360-ot.de, 05 Apr 2024; Vosges TV YouTube channel, 08 Jun 2022) OCCUPATION He has worked as a mediator and educator for the municipal government of Epinal, France. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Nov 2023; France 3 Grand Est YouTube channel, 26 Jun 2023)