Reuters
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – Athletics – Men’s High Jump – T63 Final – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 31, 2021. Sam Grewe of the United States competes. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Reuters
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – Athletics – Men’s High Jump – T63 Final – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 31, 2021. Sam Grewe of the United States competes. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Tokyo Paralympics 2020 ended on the 5th of September, and left behind a wave of inspiration and awe at the incredibly talented athletes.
Paralympic gold medalist, Sam Grewe, received a thank-you letter from the father of a 13-year old Japanese boy who suffered from the same problem as Sam. The American’s gold-winning high jump performance in Tokyo inspired the boy.
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“You gave my family great courage,” a heartwarming message for Tokyo Paralympics 2020 champion
In Rio, 2016, American star Sam Grewe missed out on the gold medal by a whisker. However, the high jump athlete redeemed his loss at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. Grewe clinched the gold in the high jump T63 category with 1.88m.
Sam had osteosarcoma at 13 and had to go through a surgery of ‘rotation plasty’. Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer and affects the leg. A 13-year-old Japanese boy, Haruki, also suffered the same problem. His family felt lost, but after seeing Sam, they found the courage to get the surgery done.
At Tokyo Paralympics 2020, Haruki’s father Masaki Kando gave the Paralympian a thank-you letter. Sam posted the letter on his social media with the caption, ” A local Japanese man just handed me this note shortly after I arrived at the track to compete. Win or lose, this is what it’s all about. This makes it all with it. “
The letter said, “You gave us great courage to my family. We are grateful for you. My son is watching on TV today. We are all supporting you. Good Luck!.”
Paralympic champion Sam Grewe received a letter from a local Japanese man whose 13-year-old son has osteosarcoma.
In the letter, he wrote how Sam inspired his family and how they were cheering him on at #TokyoParalympics.
This is what it's all about. ❤️ (via @samgrewe) pic.twitter.com/cEzppIWh4t
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) September 8, 2021
Sam Grewe is a medical student
The American sprinter is also a medical student at the University of Michigan. Sam had to go through a tough surgery to make his comeback in the athletic world. While the health care system was supportive, he felt alone, as there was very little representation of people with disabilities in health care.
Reuters
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – Athletics – Men’s High Jump – T63 Final – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 31, 2021. Sam Grewe of the United States celebrates winning the Gold medal. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Sam aims to become a medical professional, for the people with disabilities so that they don’t have to through what he did alone. Grewe wants to become an orthopedic surgeon. It is commendable how Sam is balancing his studies and athletic journey.
