To kick off Season 2, we speak with 2x Russian Paralympian (soon to be 3x), biathlete and wheelchair racer, Akzhana Abdikarmova. She shares what it means to represent the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and sheds light on the invisibility of disability in Russia, how it has evolved, and how it hasn’t over the past 30 years.

Akzhana grew up with spina bifida and is constantly looking for ways to inspire local youth with disabilities; that’s why she started several Instagram accounts amplifying the experiences of disabled athletes (@Gromova Team and @Gromovateam_junior) . Akzhana says that young para athletes are the individuals who motivate her the most, especially throughout the pandemic when she’s been largely isolated: “I need to be their motivation and their role model. I’m doing this for them.”