INTERVIEW WITH ALEJANDRA AYBAR

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place from today to September 8th, featuring as many as 4,400 athletes from around the world. They will compete in 22 sports across various iconic venues in Paris, including at the Eiffel Tower, the Chateau de Versailles and the Grand Palais.

Among these 4400 athletes, we have several OI athletes you can cheer for, alongside the athletes from your own country. One of the OI athletes is Alejandra Aybar from the Dominican Republic, who now lives in the German city of Bonn. She is 35 years old, has OI Type III, and will be competing in swimming. We did a short chat with her before she arrived in Paris. 

Written by Jacob Wittorff

Hi Alejandra. The Paralympics are just around the corner. What are your ambitions for the competition?

My ambitions are to do my best, compete with my soul and strength, and hopefully have the chance to make it to some of the finals, if God is willing. But most importantly, I want to enjoy the moment and what I am doing. As competitors, we always want to win. I am training hard and praying to achieve my maximum potential, and God will take care of the rest.

How did you get into swimming, and what do you like about it?

I was born in the Dominican Republic in 1988, and I never practiced any sport in my life before I started swimming. In my town, we didn’t have pools, and I think either one of my doctors or my mom suggested that I could do sports.

So, in 2014, after injuring my knee, my doctor recommended that I swim frequently because my balance was very poor at the time. I didn’t know how to swim, so I started taking swimming lessons.

I really love the feeling of being in the water, the freedom of being able to move my body without any mobility aids. The water not only develops my muscles, but also strengthens my self-confidence.

Tell us about the moment you realized you were really good at it.

I started training every day and therefore improving. One coach saw my potential and invited me to compete. At the beginning, I didn’t believe I could, but he was persistent, and that’s why I started competing. After the first competition, I never wanted to stop.

If people want to follow you during the Paralympics, how can they do that?

You can follow @paraswimming and @paralympics on Instagram. You can also follow my Instagram @alejandra_aybar, where my sister will be posting dates and links in my stories.

Which other athletes with OI are competing in the Paralympics 2024? 

• Valentin Baus, table tennis player, Germany
• Dave Phillipson Ply, canoeing paddler, UK
• Dimitrios Karypidis, swimmer, Greece
• Donald Rhampadi, tennis player, South Africa
• McKenzie Coan, swimmer, USA

Do you know about others atlethes with OI competing in Paris? Please give us a hint at office@oife.org

More information about Paralympics

Read more about what is going to happen at the Paralympics at their official webpage.