One People

José was a military officer (sergeant), who tragically lost his eye sight at the age of 25 during a mine explosion. His resilience and attitude ensured he devoted himself to sport, at a time when he didn’t know if he would be able to walk again. He has subsequently won three gold medals at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games (in the 100m, 200m and 400m events), three silver medals (the same distances) at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, and one gold medal (400m) and one bronze (200m) at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. He was the first Angolan athlete to win a gold medal in the Paralympic Games. While his accident may have taken away his ability to see, it didn’t affect his vision, ambition and desire to pursue his dreams. He is a true example of suffering capacity and resilience.