David Smetanine

Mr Smet, Sa Saintete (Athlete, 20 Mar 2019)

Travel, skiing. (Athlete, 20 Mar 2019)

Competing at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands. (Athlete, 20 Mar 2019)

His coaches. (IPC, 04 Nov 2009)

US sprinter and long jumper Carl Lewis. (Athlete, 20 Mar 2019)

"Never consider yourself defeated." (handisport.org, 10 Sep 2019)

He received the 2018 Grand Prix Award from the Fair Play International Committee in Budapest, Hungary. (hu.ambafrance.org, 13 Sep 2019)

He was named a Knight of the French Legion of Honour in recognition of his performances at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (legifrance.gouv.fr, 14 Nov 2008)

To win his 10th Paralympic medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (Athlete, 20 Mar 2019)

He was involved in a car accident in 1995, which resulted in partial quadriplegia. He has some degree of paralysis in all of his limbs, and has also lost sensation in his hands. (Athlete, 20 Mar 2019; 20minutes.fr, 09 Sep 2008)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
In December 2017 he was elected to serve as a member of the World Para Swimming Athletes' Advisory Group [AAG] from 2018 to 2021. In 2018 the region of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in France selected him as ambassador to its 'Sport & Disability' programme. In 2016 he was named member of the Athlete's Committee of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee. (Facebook profile, 25 Feb 2020; LinkedIn profile, 18 Mar 2019; placegrenet.fr, 04 Sep 2018; paralympic.org, 08 Dec 2017)

INSPIRATION
He is inspired the most to continue competing by his motivation and his desire to win. "I think those are the two most important aspects needed to last this long at this level, and then the quest for the challenge. Because I think I have already won everything in different competitions, so the challenge to win my 10th Paralympic medal is what motivates me to go training every day." (handisport.org, 10 Sep 2019)

FOUNDATION
He has established the David Smetanine Foundation to help people with an impairment in Cameroon. (davidsmetanine.fr, 18 Mar 2019; dicodusport.fr, 14 Dec 2018)