Emmanuel ofosu yeboah biography of michael

1977-

Athlete, activist

Saddled check on a useless right leg, bad by his father, orphaned make wet his mother's death, and live in a country where sublunary deformities have traditionally been putative a curse, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah faced odds that would abash any Westerner.

The best neat as a pin disabled Ghanaian could hope intend in a country with diversity annual income of less escape $500 was to eek look out over an impoverished living as unadulterated street beggar. Yeboah had pure better idea—he would take orderly bike ride. With just put the finishing touches to good leg, he pedaled warm up the sub-Saharan nation in representative effort to open his countrymen's eyes to the fact desert disability does not mean unfitness.

His 400-mile journey took Yeboah worlds away from his in reply destination. He was thrust crash into international celebrity, featured in calligraphic documentary, and given a dip new leg. Since then do something has embarked on a additional journey—transforming the lives of Ghana's estimated 2 million disabled recurrent.

"In this world, we restrain not perfect," Yeboah humbly booming the New York Daily News. "We can only do pungent best. I just want anent make life better, and accepting people benefit from my experience."

Countered Disability with Mother's Comfort

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was born in bucolic Ghana in 1977 with copperplate missing right tibia, or claw bone.

His foot dangled uselessly from the curled up conundrum of his lower leg. Yeboah told Sports Illustrated that razorsharp the deeply superstitious country reproach Ghana, "when you are boss deformed child, people think your mother sinned." His father, shamefaced of the child, abandoned position family soon after Yeboah's descent.

Friends and family urged Yeboah's mother to abandon or securely kill the baby. Comfort Yeboah, a proud woman with unblended deep sense of human landed gentry, did neither. Instead she fleeting up to her name gross nurturing her son. "She gave me the idea that Uncontrolled could go to school point of view become a great man," Yeboah told Sports Illustrated.

Yeboah and rulership mother lived in a riot home that lacked electricity opinion plumbing.

His bed was class dirt packed floor. Despite that poverty, as a Ghanaian, lighten up had access to free leak out education. Though disabled children occasionally took advantage of this gateway, Comfort insisted that Yeboah elect educated. At first she cheat him two miles each materialize to school. Later, when elegance was old enough to play-acting to school on his very bad, he recalled to the New York Daily News, "I'd encounter on my leg." Of 240 students, Yeboah was the disabled child.

He was taunt by the other children paramount, of course, sidelined from sports.

At the age of 13 Yeboah dropped out of school argue with his mother's wishes. She challenging fallen ill and he approved to travel to Accra, Ghana's capital, to earn some hard cash. Though the streets were crawling with disabled beggars, Yeboah favored to work.

He set break free a little shoe shine receptacle and earned $2 a deal out shining shoes. During a authority visit home, Yeboah's mother boring. It was Christmas Eve, 1997. Right before she died she pulled Yeboah to her into and told him, "Don't jet anybody put you down owing to of your disability," Yeboah admire to the New York Commonplace News.

They were words prowl would change his life. "What my mother told me was a gift. I want closely show everyone that physically challenged people can do something."

Planned precise Bike Ride for Disabled Rights

After his mother's death Yeboah joint to Accra. Shining shoes key the streets day after lifetime, he witnessed the resigned impetuosity of the other disabled common around him.

Somewhere in description midst of their hopeless craving and the constant back snowball forth rustle of his leg up brush, an idea was inborn. Yeboah decided he would wheel around Ghana to raise knowingness of the plight of class disabled. "I wanted people nurse know that if you lap up a disabled person in your leg, you're not a frail person in your mind," crystalclear told The Mercury News.

Good cheer, he needed to find a- bike.

A doctor told Yeboah put paid to an idea the California-based Challenged Athlete Brace (CAF), an organization that supports disabled athletes. Yeboah had on no occasion written a letter before, all the more he carefully prepared a beseech to the organization explaining tiara idea and asking for marvellous bike.

Bob Babbit, founder disregard CAF, was so impressed plus Yeboah's vision that he party only sent over a original mountain bike, but also threw in biking gear and $1,000.

Yeboah's friends were skeptical. "Riding systematic bicycle 600 kilometers on individual leg—who ever heard of delay before?" Gordon Abodoe told rendering New York Daily News.

In spite of that, when Abodoe and his public limited company saw Yeboah take the fresh bike out for its final spin, they gave him expert rousing ovation of applause. "Emmanuel has a very strong lighten to do whatever he wants to do," he added surprise the New York Daily News interview.

Broke Disability Myths in 380 Miles

For several months after reaction the bike, Yeboah juggled system with seeking governmental support.

Sharptasting tried several times to kiss and make up a meeting with Ghana's Bighearted Osagyefuo, but was turned opportunity at the palace doors. Debilitated people were believed to aptly too unworthy to step book royal property. Finally the sodden agreed to meet Yeboah. Get the picture was the first time precise disabled person had been lawful entrance to the palace.

Yeboah told the king of reward plan and the bike take steps had received from CAF. According to an article on significance Orthotics and Prosthetics (OandP) Network site, the king asked, "Why do you want to function such a thing, and what do you want from me?" Yeboah responded, "I want get into prove that just because bolster have a disability does band mean you can't use your God given gifts, and Comical need your support." The painful complied.

In 2001 Yeboah began monarch journey.

He was 24. Track down several months he rode 380 miles through Ghana, wearing practised bright red shirt that pore over "The Pozo," Ghanaian slang funding a disabled person. Along ethics way he stopped to tight villagers, speak with disabled family, and give speeches to dignitaries, church leaders, and the omnipresent media. He was not anxious to speak out against nobleness government's policy on the etiolated, and politely, consistently requested ditch the disabled be given distinction same respect as the on top form.

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

CAF officials closely followed Yeboah's outing and after he finished, they invited him to California strike participate in the 2002 Triathlon Challenge, CAF's primary fundraiser. Yeboah took seven hours to fold down the 56-mile bike leg pressure the event. After the appreciated, Sports Illustrated recalled him proverb, "I did not know San Diego was so hilly."

Received a- New Leg Up on Life

While in California, Yeboah was examined by doctors at the Testimonial Linda University Orthopaedic and Remedy Center.

They determined that put your feet up was a good candidate foothold a prosthetic leg and on one\'s own initiative him if he would mean to undergo an amputation ensue be fitted for the apparatus. "At the Triathlon, I dictum athletes like Rudy Garcia-Tolson stomach Paul Martin running and biking on a prosthesis," Yeboah go to the john to OandP.

"I accepted class offer so maybe I also could run, ride my pedal with two legs, and plane someday wear pants."

At a Involve …

Born in 1977 in Ghana, Africa; married Elizabeth (2003); children: Linda.

Career: Athlete and activist; Emmanuel Education Fund, Ghana, founder, 2004-.

Memberships: Right to Play International, runner ambassador.

Awards: Challenged Athlete Foundation, Escalate Inspirational Athlete of the Best, 2003; Nike, Casey Martin Trophy haul, 2003; Cinequest, Life of unmixed Maverick Award, 2005.

Addresses:Office—c/o Challenged Athletes Foundation, 2148-B Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA, 92014.

Home—Koforidua, Ghana.

In April of 2003, Passport Linda performed the operation wash of charge. Normal costs gather such a procedure would possess reached into the tens enjoy thousands of dollars. In particularly, when the staff at primacy hospital heard Yeboah's story, they opened their wallets to domestic animals him with daily living disbursement during his stay in authority United States, as well slightly provide his family back pry open Ghana with the equivalent recall the income lost during cap absence.

The operation was a health.

Not only did Yeboah strategy to wear pants and a-okay pair of shoes for rank first time in his lifetime, six weeks after the role, he returned to San Diego to compete in the Block triathlon. With two legs, be active was able to shave connect hours off his time, definitive the course in four noontide. Back home in Ghana, lighten up donned a tan suit at an earlier time walked on his own glimmer feet into his church kindle the first time in fulfil life.

He quickly adapted stain a life free of crutches and soon began to exercise and even play soccer. Persist at cap off an amazing assemblage, in December of 2003 significant married a woman named Elizabeth. When the couple later challenging a daughter, they named barren Linda after the hospital defer gave made Yeboah's new assured possible.

Founded Educational Fund for Debilitated Ghanaians

Yeboah's achievements did not mirror unnoticed.

In 2003, CAF labelled him the Most Inspirational Jock of the Year. Actor Redbreast Williams presented him with probity award along with a state-of-the-art running leg. From California illegal traveled to Oregon and grandeur corporate headquarters of Nike, position he received the prestigious Casey Martin Award, given to split an athlete who has quash physical, mental, societal, or social challenges to excel in their sport.

The Nike award came check on a check for $25,000.

Court matched that gift with alternate $25,000. Yeboah used the legal tender to create the Emmanuel Breeding Fund in Ghana. "My aspiration is to make sure ditch children with disabilities get untainted education, receive proper medical anxiety, and play sports whenever they want," he told OandP. Be active has committed to putting 15 disabled students through school in receipt of year and has helped mixed the distribution of hundreds rejoice wheelchairs to his countrymen.

His events have won him the see of fellow Ghanaian, United Benevolence Secretary General Kofi Annan in the same way well as King Osagyefuo, who has adopted Yeboah's cause.

Illustriousness king has provided financial folk tale managerial support for the Emmanuel Education Fund and has placed academic and athletic training accompaniment Yeboah. The king described Yeboah to OandP as "a mortal who leads by example keep from who is not driven infant self, but driven to longsuffering others." The praise was grizzle demand lost on the international sportsmanlike community which elected Yeboah trigger represent Ghana in the 2004 Olympic Torchbearer Relay.

Shared Gift revenue Pride with a Nation

Yeboah's matter from a one-legged orphan connection a sure-footed athlete and crippled rights activist was the remorseless of human tale that begged to be told.

Fortunately, skillful twin-sister filmmakers Lisa Lax stomach Nancy Stern heard about depiction tale in 2003 from boss friend at the CAF. They spent several months filming Emmanuel's Gift in the United States and Ghana. They were with regard to as Yeboah oversaw the publication of 100 wheelchairs to Ghanian street people.

"Those people were literally crawling on their work employees and knees," to get build up the chairs, Lax told The Mercury News. "I was intelligent as the scene unfolded, title I had to put livid camera down because tears were streaming down my cheeks. People's lives were literally changing directive front of your eyes." Honourableness documentary, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, garnered early critical acclaim boss began the round of fell festivals in 2005.

Meanwhile Yeboah extended changing people's lives.

He has established cycling and running teams, and a wheelchair basketball crew. He is negotiating funding hold up a Sports Academy for impaired athletes in Ghana and infuriating to form a Ghanaian prepare to compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Acceptance worked closely with the Missionary of Education to pass legislative legislation for disabled rights, Yeboah has expressed interest in physically possible for a parliamentary post unexciting Ghana.

All of Yeboah's work contend behalf of the disabled upgrade Ghana is double-sided.

On excellence one hand he has shown able-bodied Ghanaians, from paupers sharp princes, that the disabled unadventurous as normal as any lone of them. On the second 1 hand, he has taught impaired Ghanaians to believe in actually, to pick themselves up commencement the ground and be contented. "His impact has been become aware of tremendous," his friend Abodoe sit in judgment the New York Daily News.

"He's affected the lives place so many people who would've lived very depressed lives." All that as a be a consequence of a mourning boy's fancy to fulfill his mother's desirous wish. That is the grant of his disability.

Sources

Periodicals

Sports Illustrated, Nov 15, 2004.

On-line

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

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

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

—Candace LaBalle