Born with dysmelia of his right forearm, Thomas Borg’s parents weaned him into sports from a young age, be it football, swimming, judo, handball or athletics.
The 19-year-old university student is now preparing to make his debut at the 16th Summer Paralympic Games, which get underway on August 24 in Tokyo.
“Growing up in life, I did experience moments of bullying, but, looking back, it helped shape me to be the person I am today,” Borg told Times of Malta.
“I never see myself as different, I always push myself to be the best, to never lose or give up. Sports has helped me do all this.”
This is Malta’s 10th appearance at the Games and will be sending two Paralympians, a first since 1980. Malta’s first participation in 1960 was the most successful, as all four representatives won a medal – two silver and two bronze.
Track and field athlete Borg will be taking part in the ‘T47’ category and the 100m and 400m sprint events.
Swimmer Vladyslava Kravchenko will be competing in the ‘S5’ category and the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly sprint events.
After weeks of intense training, with just a few days away from the races, Borg is preparing to produce his best performances.
This includes working on keeping his “cool” and not letting his nerves get the better of him.
“I try to visualise the race and break it down. I close my eyes and imagine my run and count down the seconds it takes to complete it.”
Whilst the track was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, his team shifted its training regime to running on roads, hills and stairs.
Borg is confident that, if not this time, he hopes to work hard for Paris 2024 to bring home a medal.
“I am fortunate to be surrounded by a strong support system and I always have been very competitive to push myself to be the best,” he said.
“My goal is to work on my legacy. I want upcoming young para-athletes to have an idol who will motivate them. That and a strong foundation, which the committee is working on, will help strengthen the movement of paralympic sport on the island.”
My goal is to work on my legacy... I want upcoming young para-athletes to have an idol who will motivate them
Every athlete adopts a different technique to keep them focused, from meditating to praying or completely zoning out.
Kravchenko, 29, likes to recite poetry.
“There are a few poems that motivate me and I know by heart. So during a difficult set I just repeat them in my head,” Kravchenko said.
She quoted one of her favourite poems, Invictus by William Ernest Henley.
“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
In 2008, the former gymnast suffered a spinal cord injury after a light structure fell on her during an event in Qawra.
As part of her rehabilitation programme, she took up swimming and her passion for the sport flourished.
In 2012, she discovered the Paralympic Games and made it her mission to do everything she could to compete in the next edition.
In 2016, she was the country’s first ever female swimmer at the Games and the first female paralympian representing Malta since 1980.
From then, she never looked back and is now studying for a masters at England’s Loughborough University, one of the top campuses in the world for sport science.
She describes the university’s training programme as “state of the art”, as she trains with other swimmers, eight of whom also competed in the Tokyo Olympics.
“This has definitely been the best training year so far,” she reckoned
Preparing for the Games, Kravchenko has around 10 training sessions a week, which include a mixture of swimming sessions, gymnasium and pilates.
“Over the years, I learned how to train smarter – it is not the quantity but the quality of training,” she said.
“I feel as ready as I can be, it is all a matter of going there and performing the best I can on the day.”
While the pandemic cancelled major sporting events, it did not postpone Kravchenko’s training regime.
“I was lucky since, in the UK, elite athletes were allowed to continue with their training on campus. We all had a good support system and a safe environment to train during the lockdown,” she said.
She tries to keep a positive mindset, even during difficult training sessions when her body wants to stop but the mind keeps pushing.
“A lot of people tell me how inspiring and encouraging I am but, in fact, I am like everyone else, the main difference is that I never give up.
“We need to continue believing, staying positive and training hard,” she said.
Para-athletes on the increase
Set up in 2018, Malta’s Paralympic Committee has grown over the years, providing opportunities for people to look beyond their disabilities and strive in the power of sports.
Back when Julian Bajada, now permanent secretary, started training, there were only around six para-athletes. Today, there are over 30 para-athletes and the list of young people enrolling is only getting longer.
“There is so much diversification of sports, we have blind judo, para-rowing, para-taekwondo and luckily enough this movement is growing,” Bajada said.
“Of course, it’s understandable to have more questions than answers about young children with a disability starting a sport but I don’t think that is an issue.
“In my opinion, people with a disability are quick to adapt and, by nature, you will find a way to make it work,” he said.
Bajada added that the major goals for the Paris 2024 Games is for more than two paralympians to participate in competitions and focus on different sport.
“We want to participate not just in swimming or athletics, so, hopefully, we have potential in judo or other sports.”
Malta last won a medal in an event back in 1980 and, while there has been a marked improvement, Bajada believes the country is still far from the podium places.
“For many reasons, it is ultimately down to the level of support provided,” he explained.
“If we have athletes ready to push, train and develop in their sporting career, how far are we as a nation to go and support this initiative?
“It is important that our athletes compete in international competitions. That way, they are more exposed to different athletes… and they push more.”