Both the Olympics and the Paralympics just ended. Both events showcased the world’s greatest athletes in Paris, France. A world record seemed to be broken every day for the last month. While we already recognize Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky as legends, here are some athletes who deserve recognition for showing out and representing themselves and their country at this year’s games.
Ilona Maher
Ilona Maher instantly became one of the premiere faces of Team USA after winning the United States’ first-ever medal in rugby. Maher, who has been with the national team since 2018, along with her teammates won bronze. Maher’s stiff arm in the team’s Olympic debut against Japan was quite a moment. It was moments like this that made everyone pay attention to her, but it was her social media content that made her a must-follow.
“I can be all these things and I can build a social media presence and I can wear lipstick when I play. That’s just me, I’m all around.”
Maher built a brand based on body positivity and relatable content including missing the only goal of Team USA’s gold medal game against Brazil because you have to go to the bathroom She’s not just growing a brand to push herself forward as an influencer, but to bring attention to rugby and her teammates.
She spoke about her decision to work with Secret Deodorant,
“They wanted to include my team and they wanted to do an ad with my team in it and showcase rugby in a different sort of light. I always want my teammates to be lifted up as well, so to not just see me, but the we was really great.”
Sheetal Devi
Bulls-eye! Seventeen-year-old archer Sheetal Devi captured everyone’s attention with her perfect shot in the opening round. Devi was the only woman who competed in the event. While she did not receive a medal in the individual contest, she won bronze alongside her teammate Rakesh Kumar in the mixed compound archery.
Devi is the first female armless archer to win a medal at the Para World Championships.
Julien Alfred
It took seven Olympic games, but finally, St. Lucia has brought home some Olympic hardware. The pride of St. Lucia, Julien Alfred, defeated 100m favorite Sha’Carri Richardson by .15 seconds, the largest margin of victory since 2008. She then went on to win a silver medal in the 200-meter event.
The entire island of St. Lucia cheered on the sprinter. The little girl who grew up running without shoes and even stepped away from sprinting when her father passed away at the age of 12 is now a gold medalist.
Nada Hafez
Just how strong and incredible are women? Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez competed at seven months pregnant. This was Hafez’s third Olympic appearance, but it wass definitely the most special for Hafez. The three-time Olympian advanced to the round of 16 for the first time in her Olympic career. Once again proving nothing can stop a woman determined to prove doubters wrong.
She announced her pregnancy on Instagram after winning her first-round match. She caught the eye of many brands with her performance in Paris. While talking about her new role as a brand ambassador for Momcozy she stated,
“I had to take care of my baby and myself while still staying in shape and training as much as possible, but it was worth it. I didn’t let my pregnancy stop me from reaching new heights in my career.”
Jodie Grinham
Not to be outdone, but Jodie Grinham also competed seven months pregnant and became the first pregnant athlete to win a medal. The British archer received an individual bronze medal before winning gold as a team with teammate Nathan Macqueen.
She admitted her baby’s movements did affect her concentration, but she worked on that before the games. This is Grinham’s second child and her second medal. She won silver at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.
Cindy Ngamba
One of the Refugee Olympic team’s flag bearers, Cindy Ngamba, is the first-ever athlete to win a medal for the Refugee Team when she captured bronze in women’s 75 kg boxing.
Ngamba was born in Cameroon. At the age of eleven, Ngamba and her family moved to Great Britain. She discovered her passion for boxing at fifteen as a. way to help her mentally. Despite not having a British passport, she has won the British National Amateur Championships in three different weight classes.
The Refugee Olympic Team was formed in 2016 as a way to represent all of the forcibly displaced athletes.
Jasmine Moore
Jasmine Moore made major history at the Paris Olympics. She became the first woman to qualify for both the long jump and triple jump. She then went on to become the first American woman to medal in both events and only the second female athlete in Olympic history. She won bronze in both events.
Her parents pushed her from a young age. As a former All-American long jumper, her mom could see the potential in her daughter. Moore was not quite as confident in herself. Luckily she’s had her mom with her throughout her track and field career.
Kaylia Nemour
At just seventeen years old, gymnast Kaylia Nemour has already put her name in the history books. Last year when she won silver at the World Championships. She became first African gymnast to medal. This year, She won Algeria’s first gold medal in gymnastics in the uneven bars event, the first for any African nation.
Nemour was born in France and at one time was one of the country’s top gymnasts. She trained at a prestigious club where she was described as a prodigy. She admits it was a strange feeling to compete in her “home country” representing Algeria.
