Najwa Awane

Started: She began playing wheelchair tennis at age 13, four years after losing her leg due to a dog bite that became infected. (tokyo2020.org, 28 Aug 2020) Reason: "Before my accident, I was doing karate and running. I won my first competition when I was seven. When I lost my leg at age nine, I thought that sport was over for me. I was not aware that Para sport existed. Three years later, my prosthetist told me that I could still do some sports and have fun. I knew nothing about tennis. I didn't know how to play, I don't think I even knew the sport existed. At age 13 I took part in the national championship, but I didn't even know how to hold a racket. It was my first time sitting in a wheelchair. I lost all the matches, and the umpire had to tell me to change sides. But my coach told my parents there was hope that I could one day become a champion." (tokyo2020.org, 28 Aug 2020) Milestones: At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo she became the first female wheelchair tennis player to represent Morocco at the Paralympic Games, following men's player Lhaj Boukartacha who represented Morocco in the sport at the 2012 Games in London. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jun 2024) Awards: She and blind footballer Hicham Lamlas were Morocco's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) Her singles gold medal at the 2023 African Para Games in Accra, Ghana, was voted the Top Paralympic Moment of the Year for 2023 in a poll held by the International Paralympic Committee [IPC]. The gold medal, which came the day after Morocco had been affected by the Marrakesh-Safi earthquake, secured her qualification for the 2024 Paralympic Games. (Paralympics Instagram profile, 23 Dec 2023; paralympic.org, 20 Dec 2023) Additional Info: EARLY DAYS When she started to play wheelchair tennis she could not find a club to train. Court managers did not want to allow her to train as they thought that her wheelchair would damage the court surface. "I was rejected by all the clubs in Morocco so I trained for two years playing against the wall. I was trying to learn the technique, to hit a ball well. Two years later, I was the third best player in Morocco. I knew I could become champion of Morocco and play internationally. I finally found a club where I could train as a professional athlete." She hopes to one day open an academy in Morocco so that other players with impairments will not experience the same difficulties she did. "I want to open an academy. I want to inspire children to take up sport. I hope that things will change and that we can have more Para athletes and be more accepting towards people with reduced mobility." (tokyo2020.org, 28 Aug 2020) OTHER ACTIVITIES In December 2020 she was elected as a member of the International Tennis Federation [ITF] Wheelchair Tennis Player Council for a two-year term. (lopinion.ma, 11 Dec 2020)