BARCELONA, Spain, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- With the 17th Summer Paralympic Games due to kick off in Paris on August 28, some of the 150 athletes representing Spain have expressed their excitement about the chance to test themselves.
The Spanish delegation, which is larger than ever with 259 members, including support, admin and training staff, is upbeat about the Games and about improving on the 36 medals won by Spain at Tokyo 2020, according to a statement from the Spanish Paralympic Committee.
"We are proof that the impossible often becomes possible. And so, for me, representing something so great, representing something so powerful, is a great pride and fills me with hope and joy," said Paralympic table tennis player Alvaro Valera, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo.
Valera will carry his country's flag at the head of the Spanish team in Wednesday's opening ceremony in the Place de la Concorde alongside judo competitor Marta Arce, who said the honor of bearing the flag "adds a little more emotion, excitement and motivation to these Games".
Taking part in her third Games, the visually impaired 61-year-old Paralympic runner Mari Carmen Paredes is the oldest member in the Spanish delegation, although a third of the team this year is made up of debutants.
"I am the youngest member of the Spanish Paralympic team participating in the Paris Games and I am very happy to be there and enjoy the experience," said the 16-year-old, one-armed swimmer Anastasiya Dymytriv, who came to Spain from Ukraine when she was two.
Meanwhile, Paralympic runner Fiona Pinar, who lost a foot in a skiing accident in 2022, said she felt "excited" but as a relative newcomer she also described herself as "very nervous about what might happen and about how everything will turn out".
Paralympic triathlete Marta Frances was more confident about the chances of success: "I think our Spanish triathlon team is aiming for the highest possible level and I think we are going to bring a lot of joy at the Paris Games."
More women from Spain than ever before are taking part in 16 of the 22 sports present in this year's Paralympic Games, as 54 of the 150 athletes in the Spanish team are female.
However, achieving sporting glory is only part of what motivates most Paralympic athletes to take part in the Games, as many also want to shine a spotlight on their disabilities and inspire others in a similar situation.
"I'm excited and grateful to be able to represent that class of people with major disabilities, to encourage them and to show them that they can also do sports," said Paralympic swimmer Miguel Angel Navarro, who overcame his severe congenital muscular growth condition to qualify for the Paris Games.
