adminRIO DE JANEIRO. — Being in a fight with an invisible attacker may sound like a nightmare. Christella Garcia, a medal-winning, blind Paralympian judoka, says it’s “wonderful.” “It makes perfect sense,” Garcia said right after defeating Brazil’s Deanne Almeida for bronze in the over 70kg category in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Garcia, who has been almost completely blind from birth, said that out on the judo mat, where opponents try to outwit, unbalance and throw each other, her disability no longer matters.
“You’re gripping and you feel your opponent’s body and the way they’re moving,” Garcia (37) said. “It about who wants it the most.”
Judo in the Paralympics is reserved for the visually impaired — some with limited eyesight, others like Garcia with virtually none. — AFP.
Online Reporter