Howon Jeong

Started: He began playing boccia in 1998 while in grade seven of middle school in Chungju, Republic of Korea. (news.kmib.co.kr, 30 Mar 2021) Reason: He was encouraged to take up the sport by his physical education teacher at middle school. (Athlete, 23 Aug 2021; news.kmib.co.kr, 30 Mar 2021) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (sports.khan.co.kr, 27 Oct 2023) Milestones: At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo he took his career Paralympic medal tally to six, the most for a boccia player representing the Republic of Korea. He also boasts the most Paralympic gold medals [three] in the sport for the Republic of Korea. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: He and his BC3 mixed pairs teammates Kim Han-Soo and Choi Ye-Jin were flag bearers for the Republic of Korea at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (donga.com, 06 Sep 2021) In 2017 he was named Person with an Impairment of the Year by the Korea Disabled People's Development Institute in the Republic of Korea. (world.kbs.co.kr, 20 Apr 2017) In 2010 he was presented with the Cheongnyong Medal, the highest Order of Sport Merit in the Republic of Korea. (soraknews.co.kr, 17 Sep 2012) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES He founded the Howon Scholarship for students at his former high school, Sungdeok School, in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. (sundaytimes.kr, 28 Feb 2019)