Paralympics 2024: At 61, Japan's Tomoya Ito wins bronze

'Where there's a will, there’s a way'. The expression was truly embodied by Japan’s Tomoya Ito, who, at the age of 61, clinched the bronze medal at the Paris Summer Paralympics, making him one of the oldest athletes to ever win a Paralympic medal.

Tomoya won the medal in the Men’s 400m T52 category.

Known as the "Wheelchair Ironman" in his homeland, Tomoya completed the race in 1:01.08s, finishing behind his countryman Tomoki Sato, who secured the silver medal by clocking 56.26s. The gold medal went to Maxime Carabin of Belgium, who clocked an impressive timing of 55.10s.

Despite being up against much younger competitors, 25-year-old gold medalist and 34-year-old silver medalist, 61-year-old Tomoya defied the odds to claim the bronze in the T52 category.

The T52 category is designated for wheelchair athletes with spinal cord injuries and severe impairment in the trunk, along with minimal or no leg function. Competitors in this category propel their wheelchairs using elbow extensions.

Tomoya's racing journey began in 1998 when he fell during a business trip and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He then ordered a racing wheelchair by mistake instead of an ordinary one which proved to be a turning point in his career leading him to become a successful racer

His achievements included winning two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, excelling in the 400m and 800m events. He then went on to win two silver medals at the London 2012 Paralympics.

He also became the first para-athlete to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at The Museum of Marathon in Greece in 2005, just a year after making his debut as a racer at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.