Francisco Javier Lopez

Started: He took up the sport at age 10 in Badajoz, Spain. (dxtadaptado.com, 04 Aug 2021; Athlete, 26 Aug 2024) Reason: He began playing table tennis while at school. "I loved it. I played every afternoon to get more into it and to improve my technique." He competed at regional level in Spain until age 17 when he stopped practising in order to focus on his job at a hardware store. After his accident, he discovered Para table tennis at the Toledo Rehabilitation Hospital in Spain. "It was not the same as what I was used to but I had fun as well. And it helped me as an escape. When I play I forget that I am in a wheelchair. This sport is the most inclusive as you can train and compete with people without an impairment. You feel like everybody else." (dxtadaptado.com, 04 Aug 2021) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paris2024.dxtadaptado.com, 03 Aug 2024; Athlete, 26 Aug 2024) Awards: A sports pavilion in Fuente del Maestre, Spain, was named after him. (fuentedelmaestre.es, 09 Sep 2022)