Kenyan Cyclist Benson Mwaniki has been ruled out of the Paris Paralympics , 2 days before the opening ceremony, after suffering a fractured shoulder and spine in an accident last week.
Mwaniki, the para-cyclist Kennedy Ogada’s pilot, needs at least six weeks to heal from the injuries he sustained when he was hit by a car while travelling to training in Compiegne, France.
Despite all of the mishaps, Ogada, who escaped injury, is still upbeat and determined on pushing to a podium finish if he finds another pilot in time.
“We were involved in an accident in Compiegne on our way to training, and at first I was optimistic of competing in the Games by taking painkillers.
“But we realised the extent of my injuries when we arrived in Paris after further checkups. I have a fracture on my right shoulder and another one on the lower spine,” said Mwaniki, adding that he feels very disappointed.
“We had trained well and had a strategy, but now I will not be part of the competition. I console myself because my partner Ogada is in good shape and in the right state of mind,” said Mwaniki, who fully supports Ogada, and I hope he gets another pilot to enable him to achieve his dream.
Though Ogada described the incident as a little setback, it won’t stop him from pursuing his goals.
Ogada stated that he was lucky to escape the collision unscathed and added that it had strengthened his mental fortitude and increased his aggression.
Team Kenya’s Chef de Mission Dennis Muga said the Kenya National Paralympics Committee (KNPC) had initiated a process to get Mwaniki’s replacement to pilot Ogada at the Games that officially begin on Wednesday.
“Mwaniki suffered slight bruises and was treated and discharged at a local hospital, but when we reached the Paralympics athletes village, where there are excellent medical facilities, we noticed the exact extent of the injuries that automatically rule him out of the Games,” said Muga, disclosing that the new pilot will have a few days with Ogada to familiarise himself.
On September 4, Ogada—a person with visual impairment—will participate in Tandem Road Racing B1.
He added: “He has a fractured right shoulder and a small crack on the spine, and since it requires a longer time to recover, we have decided to seek replacement for the pilot because the key athlete was not injured and he is in high spirits and doesn’t want to let this chance slip away.”
