Big dreams: a disabled cyclist is changing the world, one race at a time.

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was once a shoeshine boy on the streets of Accra, the capital of Ghana. That is a nation in western Africa. Because he was born with a badly deformed right leg, he could not run, walk, or even stand alongside other children. Now 29 years old, Yeboah is a triathlete. He competes in long-distance events that involve three sports: swimming, bicycling, and running.

"He's an inspiration" filmmaker Lisa Lax told WR News. Lax and her sister, Nancy Stem, told Yeboah's story in the documentary Emmanuel's Gift. Their film and Yeboah's hard work have brought about huge changes in the way many people in Ghana view disabled individuals.

The country recently passed the Persons with Disability (PWD) Bill. The bill had been debated in Ghana's government for more than a decade. The bill provides people with disabilities access to public places, jobs, transportation, and special medical care. "Emmanuel was the catalyst" Lax told WR News.

Riding High

In Ghana, as in many poor countries around the world, people with disabilities are often shunned, or deliberately avoided by other members of society. They are forced to beg for food. But even as a little boy, Yeboah refused to accept that fate. Instead, the dreamed of riding a bicycle across Ghana. All he needed was a bike.

Yeboah wrote a letter to Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) in California. CAF sent Yeboah money not only for a mountain bike but also for shorts, socks, gloves, and a helmet. In the spring of 2002, Yeboah rode his. bicycle across his home country--almost 400 miles. Since then, Yeboah has been fitted with a prosthetic, or artificial, leg and has competed in sporting events around the world.

Inspiring Others

Yeboah is now a celebrity in Ghana. He runs Emmanuel's Educational Fund, which helps disabled children in Ghana go to school. He also has built or bought more than 800 wheelchairs for other disabled people in his country.

Now Yeboah Wants to form a Ghanaian team to compete at the 2008. Paralympic Games in Beijing. "I want children to learn my story and do more than I've done," he told WR News. "I want kids to say, 'Emmanuel inspired, me to do this!'"

Big Dreams

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a disabled cyclist, is changing the world one race at a time.

Before You Read

Ask students: Do you know anyone who has overcome adversity? How did you feel when you heard that person's story?

Vocabulary

prosthetic: artificial

shunned: deliberately avoided

triathlete: an athlete who competes in three long-distance events that typically include swimming, bicycling, and running

Background

* How many people in Ghana are disabled? Ghana has a population of 20 million. Two million, or 10 percent of Ghanaians, are disabled. The causes of those disabilities range from inadequate immunization and nutrition to present-at-birth malformations and childhood diseases.

* What is Emmanuel's Gift? Emmanuel's Gift is an award-winning documentary by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern that tells the story of Yeboah, his ride across Ghana, and the people whose lives he touched along the way. It is narrated by Oprah Winfrey.

* What is the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF)? The foundation provides opportunities and support to people with physical challenges. They provide funding directly to physically challenged individuals to buy sports equipment. In addition, CAF provides funds for training and competition expenses. Since 1994, CAF has raised more than $6 million.

* What's next for Yeboah? His next steps include furthering his education to prepare him for a run for political office. He says that a seat in parliament would provide him with a platform from which to fight for guaranteed political representation and enhanced legislative support for all physically challenged citizens.

Think Critically

Can one person change the world? Why or why not?

Extend the Lesson

Hold a school-wide walk-a-thon to raise money for physically challenged athletes. Create a simple 5- to 10-kilometer course in your community. Have students ask family and friends to sponsor them. Send the collected money to CAF (www.challengedathletes.org) or a similar local organization.

Web Resource

* For more about Emmanuel's Gift, visit www.emmanuelsgift.com.

* For more about the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where Yeboah hopes to compete, visit. www.beijing2008.com.

Cross Country

The story on page 3 of this issue is about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. He is an athlete who rode a bike across Ghana despite being born with one leg. His journey inspired millions of people in his home country. Study the map below and then answer the questions.

1. Yeboah began his bike trip at the capital of Ghana, Accra. Circle it on the map.

2. Draw a bike route through Ghana that starts and ends in Accra.

3. Use the map scale to figure out how many miles long your bike route is.

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4. What is the largest body of water in Ghana?

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5. Draw a water route that a person could swim from one end of that body of water to the other.

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6. How many miles long is the water route that you drew?

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7. Yeboah is a triathlete. That means he competes in contests that include biking, running, and swimming. Draw a 400-mile triathlon route that starts and ends in Accra, and passes through land and water.

8. Label the parts of the route that are for running, swimming, and biking.

How long is the running part of your route? --

How long is the swimming part of your route? --

How long is the biking part of your route? --

9. Of the three routes you have drawn, which one would you prefer to travel? Why?

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Get Writing: Some people would say it is impossible for a person to travel long distances without a car, a boat, or a plane. That is what people told Yeboah before he began his cross-country bike trip. On a separate sheet of paper, write a response to someone who says the route you chose for question 9 is impossible. Tell them how a person could accomplish such a trip.

ANSWER KEY

TEACHER'S GUIDE

Page 4: Cross Country All answers will vary, except for 4. Lake Volta.