George Wyndham

Started: He took up the sport in 2000 at age 10 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. (Athlete, 27 Jul 2016, 07 Sep 2016) Reason: He wanted to be the first Para table tennis athlete from Sierra Leone. "One day I went to the stadium to watch a football match and I saw people playing table tennis through a window. The coach who was training the team saw and asked me to go in and play. I clearly told him no, as I had seen the people moving from one place to another and as a disabled, I didn't think I could move like them. He encouraged me, promised to teach and help me. I got [so] addicted to table tennis that sometimes I would even run away from school to play." (olympics.com, 01 Jul 2020; Athlete, 27 Jul 2016) Milestones: He was Sierra Leone's only representative in any sport at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 15 Aug 2024) Awards: He was flag bearer for Sierra Leone at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) He was flag bearer for Sierra Leone at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (awokonewspaper.sl, 01 Apr 2018) Additional Info: RETIREMENT THOUGHTS After he competed at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro he considered quitting the sport, but he decided to continue as he was concerned about the future of Para sport in Sierra Leone. "My biggest worry is who will be next after me. I wanted to quit. But every time I thought about quitting, I kept thinking, 'I'm the only disabled athlete they have in Sierra Leone that plays table tennis very well and even challenges the able-bodied'. I want a Sierra Leone where they will say George is retired from sports but there are four or more people living with disability that will replace George." (awokonewspaper.sl, 20 Nov 2023; olympics.com, 01 Jul 2020) COACHING He has worked as a table tennis coach in Sierra Leone. (olympics.com, 01 Jul 2020)

Sporting Relatives: He represented Sierra Leone in Para athletics at the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville, Congo. (olympics.com, 01 Jul 2020)