Gloria Agblemagnon

Started: At age 13 she discovered she had a talent for throwing events. (paralympic.org, 04 Jul 2018) Reason: She was first introduced to sports by her father, who wanted his children to be active after school. She tried tennis, equestrian sports, and basketball before giving athletics a go. "I was better at throwing than other athletics events. I started with hammer and got into discus and shot put slightly later. By the time I was 15, I had realised this wasn't just a hobby for me. I wanted to pursue this seriously. I knew I could win medals internationally, but would have to train very hard." (franceetvinfo.fr, 22 Aug 2021; paralympic.org, 04 Jul 2018) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org, 04 Jul 2018) Additional Info: RIO EXPERIENCE The 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro were a turning point for both her sporting and psychological development. "I wasn't training enough before Rio. It was after that unique experience that I realised the value of training, how much harder I'd have to work to compete at that level. I didn't realise the scale of the event in the beginning, how big everything would be. But as the days went by, I started getting really stressed. It was difficult." (paralympic.org, 04 Jul 2018)

Sporting Relatives: Her father Guy is a former professional football player, who played goalkeeper for the Togolese national team. Her brother, Yorgan, is a professional footballer also playing as a goalkeeper, and debuted for Togo in 2017. (lest-eclair.fr, 10 Dec 2020; africatopsports.com, 24 Mar 2017; larep.fr, 13 Jul 2016)