Refugee athletes deliver 'a message of perseverance' as they seek medals at Paris Paralympics

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00:00Well a little over a week to go before round two of top tier sporting excitement here in Paris.

00:06Amongst the Paralympians who've started gearing up for the tournament

00:10are the sportsmen and women of the refugee delegation who, despite having fled their

00:17homelands to escape persecution or conflict, are still set on going for gold in disciplines

00:23ranging from taekwondo to powerlifting to athletics, all come the 28th of August. Now

00:29this year will feature the largest Paralympic refugee team in history with eight members plus

00:34their guides. Amongst them athlete Guillaume Junior Atangana. He's originally from Cameroon

00:39but now lives in the UK and he says he once feared that the loss of his eyesight would mean the end

00:45of his sporting career, but he's since adapted his training to make the most of his talent on

00:50the track. Take a listen. Always believe in yourself. Don't feel sorry for yourself.

00:59There is a lot you can do. I'm blind, I run, I compete at a high level. I've been able to put

01:06in some great performances that some able-bodied people can't manage. I'm very happy about that.

01:12My message to everyone with this disability is to believe in yourself, to dare and the best

01:18is yet to come.

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