NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 18 – Paralympian Samuel Muchai has described the 2017 Sports Personality of the Year Award he won on Wednesday night as a prove to the world that disability is not inability.
Muchai, who won double gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in London last year, became the second athlete living with a disability to win the gong after the great Henry Wanyoike stood to the podium in 2004.
“I thank almighty God for this far he has taken me. Tonight I am very delighted to be awarded as an overall winner for SOYA 2017. Since 2004 we have never seen any person with disability take this position but today I am very happy to be the first,” Muchai, who was the only Kenyan gold medallist in London, said.
He added, “Many people believe that people with disability they are beggars, they need to be helped in the streets or somewhere but today I want to prove to you as I stand here that Disability is not inability. We have other abilities and we can make them when we are given such opportunity.”
Muchai stormed to gold in the T11 1500m and T5000m categories to see him beat Deaflypian Simon Cherono and John Koech to win the award as well as the Sportsman Living with a Disability gong.
“I thank the government for supporting sports in the country and I thank my guide James Boit because if it is not him I could not be standing here today.”
I also thank my coach. I take this opportunity to thank all athletes that we train together. I remind all Kenyans let us be together the way athletes train together as brothers and sisters let all Kenyans live the same way,” Muchai who won the Sportsman Living with a Disability in 2016 said.