Frederick Assor

Started: He took up Para sports when he was studying at university, getting involved in goalball and athletics. He began Para cycling in 2009. (3FM 92.7 Facebook page, 29 Apr 2021) Reason: "Being on a bike again [after losing his vision] was a joyful experience. I was a sportsman when I was sighted. Football, volleyball, athletics. Cycling gave me back my sporting talent. What I love most about being on a bike is speed. I love it after you ride up a mountain and then can go down the other side. I love descending. It makes me frightened but it always makes me happy too. It makes me pedal more." (paralympic.org, 03 Jun 2022) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org, 03 Jun 2022) Additional Info: TOKYO EXPERIENCE He competed with a borrowed bike at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. "I made it to Japan but my bike didn't. Luckily, the Japan Paralympic team gave us a bicycle. I had to learn to adjust to it, which was difficult for me and Rudolf [Mensah, his pilot]. But I was pleased with my performance. I was happy that in one event [men's B individual pursuit] I was able to beat German and British riders because they are giant countries of Para sport, with very high-quality equipment. That was a joyful moment. And when I got back from Japan, people were very happy to see me on TV, riding in the name of Ghana. Radio and TV stations were chasing me. And lots of people in Accra, where I live, said that they'd seen me ride around on the tandem but they didn't realise I was blind. This got a message out and made people happy and interested." (paralympic.org, 03 Jun 2022) LONG-TIME PILOT He began his partnership with pilot Rudolf Mensah in 2011. "We know each other so well on the bike. We communicate with our voices and body language. We can ride 150km on the road in Ghana, with lots of cars, but I feel very comfortable." (paralympic.org, 03 Jun 2022)