Jagoda Kibil

Started: She began the sport in 2014 in Kozienice, Poland. (Athlete, 16 Jul 2017) Reason: She was noticed by coach Jacek Szczygiel in her hometown, and after a year of encouragement from him she agreed to start training seriously. (Athlete, 16 Jul 2017; paralympic.org.pl, 17 Jul 2017) Awards: She was named the 2019 Most Promising Athlete of the Year in Radom, Poland. (wsh.pl, 01 Mar 2020) Additional Info: LIFE CHANGING She considers taking up Para athletics as a life-changing event. "Sport taught me self-confidence. I lived in small town. I'm a person with an impairment and I was not handling it well that people looked at me differently. When I was age 14, a coach approached me on the street and encouraged me to do sport. It was a great decision. Thanks to sport I learnt to believe in myself. I understood that even if I'm a bit different, it doesn't mean that I don't have the right to realise my dream." (magazynsportowiec.pl, 29 Nov 2018)

Sporting Relatives: Her twin brother Daniel has competed in Para athletics at national level in Poland. (startradom.pl, 22 May 2015; tvp.pl, 05 Feb 2020)