Tunisian athletes gear up for Paris Paralympics
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00:00Wheelchair race athletes go through their checklist once more ahead of the Paris Paralympics.
00:11Among them are five-time gold medalist and world champion Waleed Qatila, and newcomers
00:16like Mohamed Nidal Khalifi.
00:18He has an injured spine, but after a decade of fierce training, he hopes to win a medal
00:22in the 400 meter.
00:23What do we do?
00:26We laugh and enjoy ourselves and divide the work among ourselves, so we're happy with
00:31our training and let go of the stress from the streets, from our homes, from everything.
00:38Despite the many medals won by its para-athletes, wheelchair sports still do not have a large
00:42following in Tunisia.
00:45I meet regular people as well as educated people, even officials who consider para-athletics
00:51easy.
00:52No, it's something very difficult.
00:54Training athletes also require a very specific kit that can be hard to come by.
01:00The materials are very expensive.
01:02There are sports played with prostheses, like racing, which we can't develop here because
01:06it's too expensive.
01:07I can't even consider it as a coach.
01:11Already wheelchair racing, it's not easy for us.
01:14At a minimum, one chair costs $5,000.
01:20But athletes remain committed.
01:24Shot put fans are putting their hopes on Ahmed Ben Mosleh, who won silver at the 2020 Tokyo
01:29Paralympics.
01:32Preparations have gone well, thank God.
01:36God willing, I'll win the gold and come home with the gold.
01:40Fathia Maima also hopes to bring home gold in the discus.
01:45I'm someone who believes determination is stronger than anything else.
01:49If you have strong determination, you can overcome all your challenges, God willing.
01:54At the last Paralympics, Tunisia ranked first among African and Arab countries with a record
01:5811 medals.