Beijing Olympics 2008

On Tuesday, the Olympic flame arrived in the small town of Amfilochia in Greece. Of the 4 torchbearers in tiny Amfilochia is the town hero, Paraskevi Kantza, who will be taking part in the 2008 Paralympics five months later.
Kantza was born in Amfilochia, and struggled with her disability since birth, but overcame all obstacles to become the town’s heroine. The 31-year old was a champion in the 2004 Athens Games, taking home a bronze medal in the women’s 100 meter T11. Although Amfilochia only had room for four torchbearers, Kantza was specifically invited from Athens to take part in this leg of the relay.
At present, Kantza lives in Athens, undergoing training every day to ready herself for the Paralympics. She is eyeing gold in September.
When she was contacted in June of 2007 by the municipal government of Amfilochia, she spent a sleepless night in thinking about her role as a torchbearer for the 2008 Torch Relay.
Because of her visual impairment, Kantza can only understand Beijing through what she hears from her friends and family. The athlete knows a bit about the ancient city, including the famous Great Wall and Imperial Palace, but she can’t wait to visit capital in person during the Paralympic Games.

from: torchrelay.beijing2008.cn