Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah is an athlete and activist
from Ghana
. Yeboah was born in 1977 with a severely deformed right leg. In 2001, he rode the 400 miles across Ghana to bring attention to the plight of the disabled
in that country. In the process, he applied for a grant of a bicycle from the Challenged Athletes Foundation
(CAF).
After completing the cross-country trek in Ghana, the CAF invited him to participate in the 2002 Triathlon
Challenge in San Diego, CA
. During the course of Yeboah's visit, doctors from Loma Linda University Medical Center
informed him that he was an excellent candidate for a prosthetic leg
. Following a successful surgery and six week recovery, Yeboah entered the CAF triathlon, reducing his time by 3 hours. Yeboah was subsequently awarded the CAF Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award and Nike
's Casey Martin
award.
Yeboah received approximately $50,000 those awards. Upon returning to Ghana, he used the money to open the Emmanuel Education Fund for promising students with disabilities. In 2005, Yeboah's story was captured in Emmanuel's Gift
, narrated by Oprah Winfrey
. He is currently working on building schools for children in Ghana, with or without disabilities. Usually, disabled kids in Ghana have to pay for their education, even at public schools.
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
from Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. Yeboah was born in 1977 with a severely deformed right leg. In 2001, he rode the 400 miles across Ghana to bring attention to the plight of the disabled
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
in that country. In the process, he applied for a grant of a bicycle from the Challenged Athletes Foundation
Challenged Athletes Foundation
The Challenged Athletes Foundation is an organization that provides grants for training, competition and equipment needs to people with disabilities.- History :The Challenged Athletes Foundation was founded in 1997....
(CAF).
After completing the cross-country trek in Ghana, the CAF invited him to participate in the 2002 Triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
Challenge in San Diego, CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. During the course of Yeboah's visit, doctors from Loma Linda University Medical Center
Loma Linda University Medical Center
Loma Linda University Medical Center is a teaching hospital on the campus of Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, United States. The medical center serves as a level I trauma center for San Bernardino County and the rest of the Inland Empire. It is one of two closest trauma centers for...
informed him that he was an excellent candidate for a prosthetic leg
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
. Following a successful surgery and six week recovery, Yeboah entered the CAF triathlon, reducing his time by 3 hours. Yeboah was subsequently awarded the CAF Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award and Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
's Casey Martin
Casey Martin
Casey Martin is a former American professional golfer and the current college golf coach of the University of Oregon.Martin was born in Eugene, Oregon and still resides there. He was educated at Stanford University, where he was initiated into the Sigma Chi fraternity and was briefly a teammate of...
award.
Yeboah received approximately $50,000 those awards. Upon returning to Ghana, he used the money to open the Emmanuel Education Fund for promising students with disabilities. In 2005, Yeboah's story was captured in Emmanuel's Gift
Emmanuel's Gift
Emmanuel's Gift is a 2005 documentary narrating the life of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a disabled man born in Ghana. It is narrated by Oprah Winfrey, and it follows Emmanuel as he attempts to overcome the stigma associated with physically disabled people in Ghana....
, narrated by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
. He is currently working on building schools for children in Ghana, with or without disabilities. Usually, disabled kids in Ghana have to pay for their education, even at public schools.