Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah is a

Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

athlete and

disability rights The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities. It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocat ...

activist from

Koforidua Koforidua, also popularly known as K-dua or Kofcity, is a city and the capital of Eastern Region in southern Ghana. Koforidua was founded in 1875 by migrants from Ashanti. It is also called New Juaben. The city has a settlement city proper pop ...

. Yeboah was born in 1977"One-Legged Cyclist Transforms African Nation
ABC News
retrieved 22 February 2010 with a severely deformed right leg.''Emmanuel's Gift''
IMDB
retrieved 22 February 2010 In 2001, he rode the across Ghana to bring attention to the plight of

disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

people in that country. In the process, he applied for a grant of a bicycle from the

Challenged Athletes Foundation The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), established in 1997, assists, supports, and provides opportunity to people with physical challenges, so that they can lead active lifestyles and compete in athletic events. It is founded in the belief th ...

(CAF). After completing the cross-country trek in Ghana, the CAF invited him to participate in the 2002

Triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...

Challenge in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, CA. During the course of Yeboah's visit, doctors from

Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) is an academic hospital in California's Inland Empire region. Opened more than 100 years ago, it has a trauma center that admits over one million patients yearly, around 900 faculty physicians and ove ...

informed him that he was an excellent candidate for a

prosthetic leg In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...

. Following a successful surgery and six-week recovery, Yeboah entered the CAF triathlon, reducing his time by 3 hours. Yeboah was subsequently awarded the CAF Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award and

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

's Casey Martin award. 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.Emmanuel Educational Foundation and Sports Academy: About Us
/ref> In 2005, Yeboah's story was captured in Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey. He is currently working on building schools for children in Ghana, with or without disabilities. Usually, disabled kids in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

have to pay for their education, even at public schools.

References

External links

Emmanuel Educational Foundation and Sports Academy

video interview with Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah in San Diego
Track and field athletes with disabilities 1977 births Living people Ghanaian male triathletes Paratriathletes Ghanaian male cyclists Ghanaian disability rights activists Ghanaian disabled sportspeople People from Koforidua {{Africa-cycling-bio-stub