Antonios Tsapatakis

Started: He learned to swim at age five in Chania, Greece, and began training and competing in Para swimming in 2009. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019) Reason: "What I remember from my childhood is that I have always had a huge adoration of the sea, which happened to be in front of my house. Every day, playing with my friends, we would take our flippers and we were diving from the rocks. My first experience with swimming was when I was age five and my parents took me to the pool in the city. I started getting into the pool a year after the accident. What gave me strength was the decision I made myself to continue living. I had to choose between being weak, sitting at home and waiting for the day I would die, and being strong in whatever I do in my life." (lifo.gr, 03 Dec 2020) Awards: He was named Para Athlete of the Year for 2023 at the Gazzetta Awards in Greece. (gazzetta.gr, 10 Feb 2024) In 2015 he received a sporting achievement award from the Greek Paralympic Committee. (paralympic.gr, 18 Dec 2015) Additional Info: AUTHOR He has written a children's book titled 'Dream'. "The message of my book is 'equality' and this is what I hope to pass on to children and to those who read it in general, with the ultimate aim of nurturing our little friends. We grew up in the wrong world, as no one came to teach us equality, power and love." (cnn.gr, 02 Dec 2016)