Noemi Alphonse

Started: She began wheelchair racing in 2015. She had been involved in judo as a child. (Athlete, 20 Aug 2021, 07 Nov 2019) Reason: She was introduced to Para sport by her friend Sherman Agathe, who was a neighbour of coach Jean Marie Bhugeerathee. "At age eight I had to stop practising judo because I had to have surgery. Para athletics was the first discipline I practised with people with an impairment. I prefer wheelchair racing. It is like a family." (lemauricien.com, 14 May 2019; defimedia.info, 17 Feb 2019; Athlete, 13 Jul 2017) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (lexpress.mu, 16 Jul 2023; lemauricien.com, 05 Feb 2024, 12 Feb 2024) Awards: She and fellow athletics competitor Roberto Michel were flag bearers for Mauritius at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) She was named Para Sportswoman of the Year in the physical impairment category at the 2022 Team Mauritius Sports Award ceremony. (africa-press.net, 18 Jun 2023; Facebook page, 01 Jun 2023) She was flag bearer for Mauritius at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (MAU News Mauritius Facebook page, 24 Aug 2021) She was named Sports Personality of the Year and Female Para Athlete of the Year in the physical impairment category at the 2019 National Sports Awards in Mauritius. She also received the Female Para Athlete of the Year award at the 2018 and 2015 National Sports Awards. (zordi.mu, 16 Feb 2020; defimedia.info, 17 Feb 2019; lemauricien.com, 15 Jan 2019; mauritiussportscouncil.com, 01 Jan 2015)