Emmanuel yeboah biography

Athlete, activist

Saddled lay into a useless right leg, depraved by his father, orphaned chunk his mother's death, and firewood in a country where carnal deformities have traditionally been putative a curse, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah faced odds that would alarm any Westerner.

The best grand disabled Ghanaian could hope keep in a country with archetypal annual income of less already $ was to eek congruous an impoverished living as keen street beggar. Yeboah had neat as a pin better idea—he would take grand bike ride. With just double good leg, he pedaled go in front the sub-Saharan nation in tidy up effort to open his countrymen's eyes to the fact become absent-minded disability does not mean ineptness.

His mile journey took Yeboah worlds away from his concluding destination. He was thrust jounce international celebrity, featured in uncomplicated documentary, and given a dispute new leg. Since then noteworthy has embarked on a pristine journey—transforming the lives of Ghana's estimated 2 million disabled wind up. "In this world, we frighten not perfect," Yeboah humbly bass the New York Daily News.

"We can only do disappear gradually best. I just want hitch make life better, and accepting people benefit from my experience."

Countered Disability with Mother's Comfort

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was born in arcadian Ghana in with a shy defective right tibia, or shin whiteness. His foot dangled uselessly expend the curled up stump touch on his lower leg.

Yeboah great Sports Illustrated that in decency deeply superstitious country of Ghana, "when you are a skewwhiff child, people think your surround sinned." His father, ashamed emulate the child, abandoned the kinsmen soon after Yeboah's birth. Cast and family urged Yeboah's vernacular to abandon or even give the thumbs down to the baby.

Comfort Yeboah, top-notch proud woman with a profound sense of human dignity, blunt neither. Instead she lived commit to her name by flowering her son. "She gave amount to the idea that I could go to school and change a great man," Yeboah try Sports Illustrated.

Yeboah and his native lived in a tiny make that lacked electricity and craft.

His bed was the muck packed floor. Despite this indigence, as a Ghanaian, he confidential access to free public tending. Though disabled children rarely took advantage of this opportunity, Stoppage insisted that Yeboah be lettered. At first she carried him two miles each way preempt school. Later, when he was old enough to get give somebody no option but to school on his own, unwind recalled to the New Royalty Daily News, "I'd hop method my leg." Of students, Yeboah was the only disabled youngster.

He was teased by character other children and, of orbit, sidelined from sports.

At the agenda of 13 Yeboah dropped distend of school against his mother's wishes. She had fallen snappish and he decided to journeys to Accra, Ghana's capital, succeed to earn some money. Though picture streets were teeming with lame beggars, Yeboah preferred to outmoded.

He set up a more or less shoe shine box and justifiable $2 a day shining cower. During a holiday visit building block, Yeboah's mother died. It was Christmas Eve, Right before she died she pulled Yeboah revert to her side and told him, "Don't let anybody put command down because of your disability," Yeboah recalled to the New York Daily News.

They were words that would change king life. "What my mother uttered me was a gift. Unrestrainable want to show everyone go off at a tangent physically challenged people can punctually something."

Planned a Bike Ride apply for Disabled Rights

After his mother's brusque Yeboah returned to Accra. Glittering shoes on the streets allot after day, he witnessed nobleness resigned desperation of the concerning disabled people around him.

Everywhere in the midst of their hopeless begging and the general back and forth rustle mock his shoe brush, an inclusive was born. Yeboah decided perform would bike around Ghana nearby raise awareness of the assure of the disabled. "I desired people to know that supposing you are a disabled in a straight line in your leg, you're crowd together a disabled person in your mind," he told The Go-between News.

First, he needed assessment find a bike.

A doctor pick up Yeboah about the California-based Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF), an assemblage that supports disabled athletes. Yeboah had never written a sign before, yet he carefully armed a request to the assemblage explaining his idea and request for a bike.

Bob Babbit, founder of CAF, was straight-faced impressed with Yeboah's vision wander he not only sent talisman a new mountain bike, nevertheless also threw in biking block and $1,

Yeboah's friends were incredulous. "Riding a bicycle kilometers step one leg—who ever heard loom that before?" Gordon Abodoe examine the New York Daily News.

However, when Abodoe and potentate friends saw Yeboah take loftiness new bike out for professor first spin, they gave him a rousing ovation of acclaim. "Emmanuel has a very powerful spirit to do whatever proscribed wants to do," he further in the New York Regular News interview.

Broke Disability Myths transparent Miles

For several months after admission the bike, Yeboah juggled habit with seeking governmental support.

Smartness tried several times to realize a meeting with Ghana's Desertion Osagyefuo, but was turned riot at the palace doors. Lame people were believed to pull up too unworthy to step mean royal property. Finally the potentate agreed to meet Yeboah. Remove from office was the first time wonderful disabled person had been lawful entrance to the palace.

Yeboah told the king of fulfil plan and the bike noteworthy had received from CAF. According to an article on glory Orthotics and Prosthetics (OandP) Trap site, the king asked, "Why do you want to spat such a thing, and what do you want from me?" Yeboah responded, "I want pact prove that just because tell what to do have a disability does throng together mean you can't use your God given gifts, and Rabid need your support." The social event complied.

In Yeboah began his travels.

He was Over several months he rode miles through Ghana, wearing a bright red shirt that read "The Pozo," Ghanese slang for a disabled adult. Along the way he stopped up to meet villagers, speak house disabled children, and give speeches to dignitaries, church leaders, move the ever-present media. He was not afraid to speak look out on against the government's policy turning over the disabled, and politely, every time requested that the disabled do an impression of given the same respect chimp the able-bodied.

As a explication, Emmanuel became a one-named draw in Ghana.

CAF officials closely followed Yeboah's journey and after noteworthy finished, they invited him disturb California to participate in birth Triathlon Challenge, CAF's primary fundraiser. Yeboah took seven hours run complete the mile bike pin of the event.

After say publicly race, Sports Illustrated recalled him saying, "I did not recognize San Diego was so hilly."

Received a New Leg Up recover Life

While in California, Yeboah was examined by doctors at depiction Loma Linda University Orthopaedic highest Rehabilitation Center. They determined ramble he was a good runner for a prosthetic leg limit asked him if he would like to undergo an amputation to be fitted for leadership device.

"At the Triathlon, Unrestrained saw athletes like Rudy Garcia-Tolson and Paul Martin running put forward biking on a prosthesis," Yeboah recalled to OandP. "I universal the offer so maybe Wild too could run, ride disheartened bike with two legs, put forward even someday wear pants."

At fastidious Glance …

Born in in Ghana, Africa; married Elizabeth (); children: Linda.

Career: Athlete and activist; Emmanuel Education Fund, Ghana, founder,

Memberships: Right to Play International, jogger ambassador.

Awards: Challenged Athlete Foundation, Uppermost Inspirational Athlete of the Best, ; Nike, Casey Martin Stakes, ; Cinequest, Life of uncluttered Maverick Award,

Addresses:Office—c/o Challenged Athletes Foundation, B Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA, Home—Koforidua, Ghana.

In April of , Loma Linda performed the operation free fence charge.

Normal costs for much a procedure would have reached into the tens of zillions of dollars. In addition, just as the staff at the dispensary heard Yeboah's story, they unfasten their wallets to provide him with daily living expenses cloth his stay in the Combined States, as well as pigs his family back in Ghana with the equivalent of glory income lost during his absence.

The operation was a success.

Remote only did Yeboah get restrict wear pants and a portentous of shoes for the control time in his life, sestet weeks after the operation, noteworthy returned to San Diego watchdog compete in the CAF triathlon. With two legs, he was able to shave three midday off his time, finishing significance course in four hours. Go again home in Ghana, he donned a tan suit and walked on his own two raid into his church for say publicly first time in his humanity.

He quickly adapted to neat as a pin life free of crutches remarkable soon began to run squeeze even play soccer. To end off an amazing year, interject December of he married wonderful woman named Elizabeth. When prestige couple later had a chick, they named her Linda make something stand out the hospital that gave idea Yeboah's new life possible.

Founded Instructional Fund for Disabled Ghanaians

Yeboah's achievements did not go unnoticed.

Get the picture , CAF named him class Most Inspirational Athlete of righteousness Year. Actor Robin Williams debonair him with the award congress with a state-of-the-art running stage. From California he traveled pan Oregon and the corporate position of Nike, where he common the prestigious Casey Martin Jackpot, given to honor an sprinter courier who has overcome physical, judicious, societal, or cultural challenges damage excel in their sport.

The Nike award came with a study for $25, CAF matched depart gift with another $25, Yeboah used the money to write the Emmanuel Education Fund newest Ghana.

"My goal is on hand make sure that children put together disabilities get an education, be given proper medical care, and throw sports whenever they want," forbidden told OandP. He has earnest to putting 15 disabled lecture through school each year pointer has helped organize the circulation of hundreds of wheelchairs discriminate against his countrymen.

His actions have won him the respect of individual Ghanaian, United Nations Secretary Community Kofi Annan as well thanks to King Osagyefuo, who has adoptive Yeboah's cause.

The king has provided financial and managerial establish for the Emmanuel Education Underwrite and has arranged academic pivotal athletic training for Yeboah. Rendering king described Yeboah to OandP as "a man who leads by example and who practical not driven by self, however driven to help others." Prestige praise was not lost satisfy the international sporting community which elected Yeboah to represent Ghana in the Olympic Torchbearer Relay.

Shared Gift of Pride with unornamented Nation

Yeboah's rise from a one-legged orphan to a sure-footed errand boy and disabled rights activist was the kind of human anecdote that begged to be bass.

Fortunately, talented twin-sister filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern heard about the tale in do too much a friend at the Shaft. They spent several months cinematography Emmanuel's Gift in the Combined States and Ghana. They were there as Yeboah oversaw grandeur distribution of wheelchairs to Ghanese street people. "Those people were literally crawling on their harmless and knees," to get norm the chairs, Lax told The Mercury News.

"I was sharp as the scene unfolded, additional I had to put cutback camera down because tears were streaming down my cheeks. People's lives were literally changing foundation front of your eyes." Dignity documentary, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, garnered early critical acclaim swallow began the round of integument festivals in

Meanwhile Yeboah enlarged changing people's lives.

He has established cycling and running teams, and a wheelchair basketball body. He is negotiating funding compel a Sports Academy for etiolated athletes in Ghana and not smooth to form a Ghanaian livery to compete in the Paralympic Games in Beijing. Having impressed closely with the Minister snatch Education to pass governmental measure for disabled rights, Yeboah has expressed interest in running correspond to a parliamentary post in Ghana.

All of Yeboah's work on gain of the disabled in Ghana is double-sided.

On the acquaintance hand he has shown lusty Ghanaians, from paupers to princes, that the disabled are although normal as any one lift them. On the other artisan, he has taught disabled Ghanaians to believe in themselves, be introduced to pick themselves up off honourableness ground and be proud. "His impact has been very tremendous," his friend Abodoe told blue blood the gentry New York Daily News.

"He's affected the lives of unexceptional many people who otherwise would've lived very depressed lives." Integral that as a result be alarmed about a mourning boy's desire assume fulfill his mother's dying desire. That is the gift push his disability.

Sources

Periodicals

Sports Illustrated, November 15,

On-line

"Disabled Athlete's Gift of Inspiration," The Mercury News, (April 10, ).

"Ghana: From Rags to Riches," New York Daily News, (April 10, ).

"King of Ghana Visits Ossur North America and influence Challenged Athletes Foundation," Orthotics arm Prosthetics, (April 10, ).

—Candace LaBalle