Paracanoe (which looks a lot like kayaking to me) will have gold medalists for the first time in 2016!

Does this guy look like he has a disability? Someone might think as he’s sitting in his wheelchair he’s disabled but when they see him sitting in a kayak they see him as an athlete.

And they might notice the looks that made him a famous model prior to his car accident.

For more on his uplifting story check his story out (from the Paralympic site, where I borrowed the picture).

According to Wikipedia there will be three classifications:

KL1 – only arms are used for paddling
KL2 – trunk and arms are used for paddling

KL3 – legs, trunk and arms are used for paddling

This makes sense because so much power comes from your trunk and legs.

There will be 8 events, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) using single kayaks for men and women, in September, so mark your calendars!

And if this has peaked your interest (or maybe especially if it hasn’t) check out LifeBeyond4Limbs blog’s post on Paralympics and misconceptions of disability, from the view of an active man with an amputation.