Sandrine Nyirambarushimana

Started: She began playing sitting volleyball in 2012 in Rwanda. (newtimes.co.rw, 12 Oct 2019; Athlete, 18 Sep 2016) Reason: "Before I got involved in the sport I was at home thinking I was the only one to be disabled and that my disability was the worst thing in the world. When I started playing sitting volleyball I saw different categories of disability and realised my disability wasn't as severe as I thought. It shifted my mindset. I started talking to others, I became less shy and more social. I changed." (laureus.com, 09 Sep 2016) Awards: She was named women's Most Valuable Player [MVP] of the 2022 Rwanda Championship. (ktpress.rw, 09 May 2022) In 2015, 2017, and 2019 she was named Most Valuable Player [MVP] at the African championships. (taarifa.rw, 01 Sep 2019; newtimes.co.rw, 12 Oct 2019)