Maja Theuma was born with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that results in dwarfism, yet as she grew up she did not let this discourage her, instead, it defined her.

“Growing up, I saw the difference between myself and others, but that did not stop me from getting to where I am today,” Theuma told Times of Malta.

“I am the person I am today because of the challenges I have been through,” she said.

The 24-year-old is the first Maltese female para swimmer with achondroplasia and is participating at the 17th Summer Paralympics Games in Paris.

The 2024 Paralympic Games kicked off yesterday evening and run until September 8.

This is Malta’s 11th appearance at the games and the two athletes proudly waving the Maltese flag are swimmer Theuma and track athlete Antonio Flores.

Theuma will today be competing in the 50-metre freestyle. Flores will be competing in the 100m and 200m races, scheduled between September 1 and 2.

Times of Malta met up with the two athletes a few days before they headed to Paris.

Maja began training professionally just seven years ago, and since then she has participated in numerous para swimming competitions abroad.

She recalled how although her parents were divers and her brother a water polo player she would play tennis and football at a young age and didn’t show much interest in swimming.

However, once her brother began professional training in water polo things changed. She started training in 2015 aged 15 and years later has never looked back. 

“When I’m in the water, I am in my zone, I forget what is happening around me and just focus on my strokes.”

Training for the games has been challenging, as Theuma trains 11 times a week – nine swimming sessions and two strength sessions.

“I train twice or three times a day, and right now, every millisecond counts,” she said.

“The training has been tough in the past few weeks, but the outcome is rewarding. The main aim is to stay focused on myself and my target and not let anything get in the way of that.”

When asked what her target was for her race, she smiled and said that was a secret.

This is not the first time Theuma trained to qualify for the Paralympic Games. During the 2020 COVID lockdown, the young swimmer trained in the sea on her own, yet she failed to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

“It was challenging, especially because the games were postponed by a year and I spent so much time training on my own. So when I received the news I was upset,” she said.

“But I believe everything happens for a reason, and now I have more experience going to Paris. I feel more prepared than before.”

Malta’s blade runner’s second appearance at Paralympics

Theuma is not the only athlete who had their eyes on Tokyo 2020.

A ‘veteran’ in the sport, Antonio Flores had his eyes set on participating in the Tokyo 2020 Games, yet had to pull out at the last minute after injuring his Achilles tendon.

“It was very difficult to know I qualified, and at the end of one training session I hurt my leg and then had to drop out,” he said.

The 34-year-old had first competed in the Beijing Paralympic Games with his club foot.

“I can say that during that time, I stopped speaking to the athletics team and I stopped watching the sport. I just couldn’t do it at the time.”

Once the Tokyo Games had passed, he began to heal mentally and began his journey to recovery.

Now, he feels more prepared than ever to compete in Paris.

“For Beijing, I was just 18, I could say I was immature and just four years in the sport. Now, I have grown, I know my body more and I am more aware of how to move with my blade. During this time in  Paris, I will appreciate the sport more.”

The 34-year-old had first competed in the Beijing Paralympic Games with his club foot. His career took a halt when he began to feel pain in his right leg. The pain became unbearable, despite trying to run with a brace.

“I had two options – either reduce my mobility or amputate my leg and lead more or less a normal life.”

Flores became an amputee, and with strength and determination learnt how to walk, jog, run and sprint once again.

“While running with a foot problem is very challenging, it is also the most rewarding,” he said.

“When you are running, it’s not just an activity, it is spiritual. That moment you are in the air and your foot is about to touch the ground feels like you are flying. It is very difficult to explain the feeling.”

He believes what he has achieved is a result of discipline and patience.

“You might not see results overnight, but with discipline and patience, you will get to your goal. When I started running with a running blade, I would fall and struggle, but I always got back up.”

When asked what his goals are for Paris, he said he did not want to put too much pressure on himself, but wanted to enjoy the games.