Irma Khetsuriani

Started: She took up wheelchair fencing in 2014 in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Athlete, 16 Apr 2021; ekhokavkaza.com, 13 Dec 2018) Reason: She quit university due to her impairment and was later invited to take up fencing. "I was surprised, even shocked when the Paralympic Committee of Georgia suggested I could do wheelchair fencing. Fencing is for smart and passionate people. When I am fencing I forget everything and the wheelchair is my partner." (paralympic.org, 2016; ge.undp.org, 01 Mar 2014) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Away from competition, she hopes to earn a degree in sports management. (Audi Georgia Facebook page, 08 Apr 2023) Milestones: She became the first wheelchair fencer to represent Georgia at the Paralympic Games when she competed at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Jan 2024) Awards: She was named Para Athlete of the Year at the 2023 Adjarabet Awards in Georgia. (Adjarabet Awards Facebook page, 06 Jan 2024) She was named Female Para Athlete of the Year for 2023 by the Georgian Paralympic Committee. (Georgian Paralympic Committee Facebook page, 15 Dec 2023; 1tv.ge, 14 Dec 2023) She was named the 2019 Best Athlete in the women's sabre B category by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation [IWAS]. (iwasf.com, 04 Nov 2020) In 2019 she was named Best Para Athlete of the Year by the Georgian National Olympic Committee. (sportyakutia.ru, 28 Dec 2019) In 2015 and 2016 she was named Female Para Athlete of the Year by Georgia's Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. (vestikavkaza.ru, 27 Dec 2016; parasport-news.com, 08 Jan 2016) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES In 2023 she became an ambassador for UNICEF in Georgia. (agenda.ge, 23 Nov 2023)