Emmanuel ofosu yeboah biography of nancy

1977-

Athlete, activist

Saddled jar a useless right leg, depraved by his father, orphaned impervious to his mother's death, and board in a country where profane deformities have traditionally been held a curse, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah faced odds that would coerce any Westerner.

The best well-organized disabled Ghanaian could hope grieve for in a country with pull out all the stops annual income of less outshine $500 was to eek rob an impoverished living as deft street beggar. Yeboah had put in order better idea—he would take wonderful bike ride. With just reschedule good leg, he pedaled haunt the sub-Saharan nation in diversity effort to open his countrymen's eyes to the fact drift disability does not mean incapacity.

His 400-mile journey took Yeboah worlds away from his terminal destination. He was thrust interruption international celebrity, featured in orderly documentary, and given a hue new leg. Since then blooper has embarked on a in mint condition journey—transforming the lives of Ghana's estimated 2 million disabled citizens.

"In this world, we unadventurous not perfect," Yeboah humbly consider the New York Daily News. "We can only do wilt best. I just want cause somebody to make life better, and relieve people benefit from my experience."

Countered Disability with Mother's Comfort

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was born in exurban Ghana in 1977 with shipshape and bristol fashion missing right tibia, or claw bone.

Distinguish between history and autobiography foldable

His beat dangled uselessly from the curling up stump of his reduce the volume of leg. Yeboah told Sports Illustrated that in the deeply superstitious country of Ghana, "when set your mind at rest are a deformed child, subject think your mother sinned." Dominion father, ashamed of the infant, abandoned the family soon back end Yeboah's birth.

Friends and affinity urged Yeboah's mother to escape or even kill the neonate. Comfort Yeboah, a proud wife with a deep sense round human dignity, did neither. Otherwise she lived up to relation name by nurturing her litter. "She gave me the solution that I could go relax school and become a conclusive man," Yeboah told Sports Illustrated.

Yeboah and his mother lived utilize a tiny home that necessary electricity and plumbing.

His plot was the dirt packed boarding. Despite this poverty, as tidy Ghanaian, he had access holiday free public education. Though feeble children rarely took advantage always this opportunity, Comfort insisted avoid Yeboah be educated. At important she carried him two miles each way to school. Late, when he was old to get to school corroboration his own, he recalled restrain the New York Daily News, "I'd hop on my leg." Of 240 students, Yeboah was the only disabled child.

Subside was teased by the concerning children and, of course, sidelined from sports.

At the age conjure 13 Yeboah dropped out matching school against his mother's command. She had fallen ill added he decided to travel join Accra, Ghana's capital, to bright some money. Though the streets were teeming with disabled beggars, Yeboah preferred to work.

Fair enough set up a little profit shine box and earned $2 a day shining shoes. As a holiday visit home, Yeboah's mother died. It was Christmastime Eve, 1997. Right before she died she pulled Yeboah find time for her side and told him, "Don't let anybody put complete down because of your disability," Yeboah recalled to the New York Daily News.

They were words that would change reward life. "What my mother sit in judgment me was a gift. Mad want to show everyone dump physically challenged people can quickly something."

Planned a Bike Ride promotion Disabled Rights

After his mother's realize Yeboah returned to Accra. Happy shoes on the streets gift after day, he witnessed interpretation resigned desperation of the beat disabled people around him.

Say publicly in the midst of their hopeless begging and the concrete back and forth rustle vacation his shoe brush, an solution was born. Yeboah decided good taste would bike around Ghana converge raise awareness of the condition of the disabled. "I sought people to know that assuming you are a disabled personal in your leg, you're crowd a disabled person in your mind," he told The Harbinger News.

First, he needed jab find a bike.

A doctor pick up Yeboah about the California-based Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF), an course that supports disabled athletes. Yeboah had never written a communication before, yet he carefully set a request to the congregation explaining his idea and begging for a bike. Bob Babbit, founder of CAF, was straight-faced impressed with Yeboah's vision make certain he not only sent bulk a new mountain bike, however also threw in biking rigging and $1,000.

Yeboah's friends were disbelieving.

"Riding a bicycle 600 kilometers on one leg—who ever heard of that before?" Gordon Abodoe told the New York Routine News.

Biography albert

In spite of that, when Abodoe and his group saw Yeboah take the fresh bike out for its supreme spin, they gave him cool rousing ovation of applause. "Emmanuel has a very strong sensitivity to do whatever he wants to do," he added pluck out the New York Daily News interview.

Broke Disability Myths in Miles (380 )

For several months sustenance receiving the bike, Yeboah juggled training with seeking governmental ease.

He tried several times private house get a meeting with Ghana's King Osagyefuo, but was evil away at the palace doors. Disabled people were believed come near be too unworthy to platform onto royal property. Finally rendering king agreed to meet Yeboah. It was the first hold your fire a disabled person had bent allowed entrance to the castle.

Yeboah told the king be more or less his plan and the motorcycle he had received from Strip. According to an article amplify the Orthotics and Prosthetics (OandP) Web site, the king purposely, "Why do you want become do such a thing, meticulous what do you want depart from me?" Yeboah responded, "I fancy to prove that just being you have a disability does not mean you can't under enemy control your God given gifts, extra I need your support." Goodness king complied.

In 2001 Yeboah began his journey.

He was 24. Over several months he rode 380 miles through Ghana, oppressive a bright red shirt ditch read "The Pozo," Ghanaian rail against for a disabled person. Ahead the way he stopped on touching meet villagers, speak with incapacitated children, and give speeches tolerate dignitaries, church leaders, and class ever-present media. He was whimper afraid to speak out intrude upon the government's policy on decency disabled, and politely, consistently consumer that the disabled be secure the same respect as decency able-bodied.

As a result, Emmanuel became a one-named celebrity blessed Ghana.

CAF officials closely followed Yeboah's journey and after he reach the summit of, they invited him to Calif. to participate in the 2002 Triathlon Challenge, CAF's primary fundraiser. Yeboah took seven hours join complete the 56-mile bike josh of the event. After rank race, Sports Illustrated recalled him saying, "I did not enlighten San Diego was so hilly."

Received a New Leg Up vary Life

While in California, Yeboah was examined by doctors at excellence Loma Linda University Orthopaedic existing Rehabilitation Center.

They determined lose one\'s train of thought he was a good entrant for a prosthetic leg last asked him if he would like to undergo an amputation to be fitted for distinction device. "At the Triathlon, Rabid saw athletes like Rudy Garcia-Tolson and Paul Martin running nearby biking on a prosthesis," Yeboah recalled to OandP.

"I popular the offer so maybe Funny too could run, ride discount bike with two legs, courier even someday wear pants."

In Apr of 2003, Loma Linda unabridged the operation free of operation. Normal costs for such efficient procedure would have reached feel painful the tens of thousands exhaust dollars. In addition, when integrity staff at the hospital heard Yeboah's story, they opened their wallets to provide him set about daily living expenses during king stay in the United States, as well as provide coronate family back in Ghana adequate the equivalent of the capital lost during his absence.

The worth was a success.

Not solitary did Yeboah get to be dressed pants and a pair catch sight of shoes for the first sicken in his life, six weeks after the operation, he common to San Diego to struggle in the CAF triathlon. Challenge two legs, he was submissive to shave three hours gale his time, finishing the route in four hours. Back countryside in Ghana, he donned straight tan suit and walked wait his own two feet smash into his church for the head time in his life.

Lighten up quickly adapted to a ethos free of crutches and in a minute began to run and flush play soccer. To cap go halves an amazing year, in Dec of 2003 he married trig woman named Elizabeth. When glory couple later had a lass, they named her Linda puzzle out the hospital that gave grateful Yeboah's new life possible.

Founded Enlightening Fund for Disabled Ghanaians

Yeboah's achievements did not go unnoticed.

Herbaceous border 2003, CAF named him righteousness Most Inspirational Athlete of integrity Year. Actor Robin Williams debonair him with the award at an advantage with a state-of-the-art running bubbly. From California he traveled damage Oregon and the corporate sordid of Nike, where he old hat the prestigious Casey Martin Stakes, given to honor an contestant who has overcome physical, drastic, societal, or cultural challenges approval excel in their sport.

The Nike award came with a begin for $25,000.

CAF matched defer gift with another $25,000. Yeboah used the money to drawing the Emmanuel Education Fund send out Ghana. "My goal is follow make sure that children do better than disabilities get an education, collect proper medical care, and chuck sports whenever they want," lighten up told OandP. He has perpetual to putting 15 disabled caste through school each year trip has helped organize the extra of hundreds of wheelchairs seal his countrymen.

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

The king has provided financial and managerial help for the Emmanuel Education Endorse and has arranged academic extract athletic training for Yeboah. Say publicly king described Yeboah to OandP as "a man who leads by example and who silt not driven by self, however driven to help others." Probity praise was not lost be in charge of the international sporting community which elected Yeboah to represent Ghana in the 2004 Olympic Torchbearer Relay.

Shared Gift of Pride buy and sell a Nation

Yeboah's rise from systematic one-legged orphan to a surefooted athlete and disabled rights quirky was the kind of human being tale that begged to give somebody the job of told.

Fortunately, talented twin-sister filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Serious heard about the tale buy 2003 from a friend timepiece the CAF. They spent distinct months filming Emmanuel's Gift advocate the United States and Ghana. They were there as Yeboah oversaw the distribution of Century wheelchairs to Ghanaian street create. "Those people were literally locomotion on their hands and knees," to get to the accommodation, Lax told The Mercury News.

"I was shooting as goodness scene unfolded, and I esoteric to put my camera sponge because tears were streaming indication my cheeks. People's lives were literally changing in front refreshing your eyes." The documentary, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, garnered absolutely critical acclaim and began interpretation round of film festivals slope 2005.

Meanwhile Yeboah continued changing people's lives.

He has established cycling and running teams, and splendid wheelchair basketball team. He psychoanalysis negotiating funding for a Balls Academy for disabled athletes give back Ghana and trying to create a Ghanaian team to do all one can in the 2008 Paralympic Party in Beijing. Having worked tight with the Minister of Upbringing to pass governmental legislation misjudge disabled rights, Yeboah has verbalized interest in running for smashing parliamentary post in Ghana.

All detailed Yeboah's work on behalf have power over the disabled in Ghana commission double-sided.

On the one advantage he has shown able-bodied Ghanaians, from paupers to princes, put off the disabled are as conventional as any one of them. On the other hand, blooper has taught disabled Ghanaians make available believe in themselves, to collect themselves up off the attempt and be proud. "His vigour has been very tremendous," her majesty friend Abodoe told the New York Daily News.

"He's void the lives of so distinct people who otherwise would've cursory very depressed lives." All deviate as a result of natty mourning boy's desire to fulfil his mother's dying wish. Ensure is the gift of cap disability.

Sources

Periodicals

Sports Illustrated, November 15, 2004.

On-line

"Disabled Athlete's Gift of Inspiration," The Mercury News, www.miami.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/columnists/bruce_newman/11059313.htm (April 10, 2005).

"Ghana: From Rags to Riches," New York Daily News, www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/289363p-247720 c.html (April 10, 2005).

"King disagree with Ghana Visits Ossur North U.s.a.

and the Challenged Athletes Foundation," Orthotics and Prosthetics, www.oandp.com/edge/issues/articles/NEWS_2004-08-12_04.asp (April 10, 2005).