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Emmanuel Yeboah (cyclist)

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For other people with the same name, see Emmanuel Yeboah.

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Personal information
Full nameEmmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
NicknameYeboah
NationalityGhana Ghanaian
Born1977
Ghana
Sport
CountrySouth Africa
SportCycling
DisabilityHemimelia

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah is a Ghanaian athlete and disability rights activist from Koforidua. Yeboah was born in 1977[1] with a severely deformed right leg.[2] In 2001, he rode the 400 mi (644 km) across Ghana[1] to bring attention to the plight of disabled people in that country.[2] In the process, he applied for a grant of a bicycle from the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).[2]

After completing the cross-country trek in Ghana, the CAF invited him to participate in the 2002 Triathlon Challenge in San Diego, CA.[2] During the course of Yeboah's visit, doctors from Loma Linda University Medical Center informed him that he was an excellent candidate for a prosthetic leg.[2] Following a successful surgery and six-week recovery, Yeboah entered the CAF triathlon, reducing his time by 3 hours.[2] Yeboah was subsequently awarded the CAF Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award and Nike's Casey Martin award.[2]

Yeboah received approximately $50,000 from those awards. Upon returning to Ghana, he used the money to open the Emmanuel Education Fund for promising students with disabilities.[2][3] In 2005, Yeboah's story was captured in Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey.[2] He is currently working on building schools for children in Ghana, with or without disabilities.[citation needed] Usually, disabled kids in Ghana have to pay for their education, even at public schools.[citation needed]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "One-Legged Cyclist Transforms African Nation",ABC News, retrieved 22 February 2010
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Emmanuel's Gift, IMDB, retrieved 22 February 2010
  3. ^ Emmanuel Educational Foundation and Sports Academy: About Us[permanent dead link]
[edit]


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