Nigeria's Paralympic medallist Isau Ogunkunle: Why I want to return to shoe making

Giving up has never been an option for Paralympic table tennis champion Isau Ogunkunle.

At age 13, the Nigerian lost the use of both legs due to illness. The physical and emotional toll was immense, yet he continued to fight — even after dropping out of school and losing his father while still an undergraduate.

Faced with a bleak future, he chose resilience.

“My life has been full of challenges. At 13, I fell ill and couldn’t move my limbs or hands for over seven years. Thanks to my parents’ efforts, I regained use of my hands, but my legs had shrunk. It was later diagnosed as polio. Still, I didn’t give up. I earned my school certificate and gained admission to study Electronic Engineering at a polytechnic,” the 39-year-old told Olympics.com.

Ogunkunle's academic dreams were cut short in 2003 when his father passed away, leaving him without financial support. He turned to shoemaking to survive.

“Even when I couldn’t use my limbs, I never saw myself as disabled. I believed I might be physically challenged, but I was never intellectually incapacitated. I dropped out of school and learned shoemaking to fend for myself.”

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