Albinism, more common in Africa than the rest of the world, is a rare genetic disorder that results from a lack of pigmentation (melanin), resulting in albinos having light-colored hair, skin, and eyes.
Although not uncommon, living with the condition is not easy on the African continent, where many albinos are persecuted, amputated and killed in rituals and witchcraft.
To escape this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, the biological parents of Adiaratou Iglesias, an albino, sent her from Mali to Spain when she was just 11 years old.
“I’ve always loved running and have always been passionate about it, but I never got around to it. [praticar atletismo] due to life circumstances until 2014,” said the 25-year-old athlete. Reuters, praising the work of his adoptive mother, Lina Iglesias, without whom “this would never have been possible.”
As a child, Adi, as she is called, was always very quick to carry out her mother’s orders. Now he is preparing to win medals at the Olympic Games, where he has already reached the top spot on the podium in 2021.
When she finished the 100m T13, the Spaniard didn’t know she had come first. “I didn’t know anything when I crossed the finish line because I couldn’t see what was happening on the side,” he explained. Albinism reduces Adi’s visual perception by 90%.
The athlete also won a silver medal in the 400m in Tokyo and now dreams of hearing her adopted family shout “gold” when the race is over in Paris.
After staying in an orphanage in northern Spain, Adi was adopted in 2013. She lived in the Galician region of Lugo and received Spanish citizenship.
The adoptive mother described with emotion and pride what it would be like to hug her daughter after her victory in Paris. “For me, it would be a great emotion, but not more than what I feel every time I see her run,” he replied.
Although she now spends more time at the High Performance Athlete Centre in Madrid, the runner wants to keep the medals she has already won in her childhood room in Lugo. “It will be a museum, and that makes [Lina] “I’m very happy,” he admitted.
The Paralympic Games in Paris begin next Wednesday.
Author: Miguel Pinheiro Correia
Source: CM Jornal
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