Marie Amelie Le Fur, a veteran of four Paralympic Games, has set her sights on a new legacy off the track as president of the French delegation: making sport accessible to all and creating a more inclusive society.

Helping people see disability as a strength and promoting the Games widely is a mission she takes on with enthusiasm.

“The French know that the Paralympic Games exist. Five to 10 years ago, that was not the reality,” she said.

“These Games have changed para-sport in France… many people are now involved in building a better society for (people with disabilities).”

Improvements in public transport accessibility in Paris and other French cities are already visible and she hopes the Games will provide a boost and improve daily life.

“We want to continue,” she said.

Cheering for everyone

The 36-year-old, who retired after the Tokyo Paralympic Games, knows that her compatriots are eager to continue the sporting event after the successful Olympic Games in Paris.

“The French will love all the athletes… The French will be behind them, cheer them on, support them and share the emotion of the Paralympic Games,” she said.

“I dream about the opening ceremony on the Place de la Concorde with all these athletes from all over the world.”

Powerhouse

It was a long road, from a six-year-old doing athletics to a podium finish on the international stage.

Le Fur lost her left leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident in 2004 at the age of 15.

Sports became an important part of her rehabilitation and within a year she was running with a prosthesis and preparing for the 2006 World Championships.

Le Fur made her debut at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing with a silver medal in the women’s long jump (F44) and 100 m (T44).

Four years later, at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, she won the 100m T44, took silver in the 200m T44 and took bronze in the long jump F42/44.

Le Fur won two gold and one bronze medal and improved two world records at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.

She won her first gold medal in the long jump T44, followed by a podium place in the 400m T44 and bronze in the 200m T44.

After having a baby in 2018, Le Fur started training again for the last Paralympics in Tokyo before her retirement, where she won silver in the long jump T64.

In December 2018, she was elected President of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee and enjoys her leadership and mentoring role.

The Games veteran urges new para-athletes to take a breather and enjoy the Games atmosphere.

“Share this moment with the public, with your family, with your friends and this feeling, this joy, will give you the energy to do your best,” she said.

“My tip is to enjoy and live 100 percent in the moment.”