CNN’s ‘Super Hero’ meets the inspiring athletes set to compete at the Tokyo Paralympics

HONG KONG, Nov. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — This month on ‘Super Hero’, CNN profiles five athletes from across the globe who are set to compete at the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics. The brand new 30-minute program hosted by CNN anchor and correspondent Christina Macfarlane showcases their willpower, strength and ambition to compete against all odds at the very highest levels.

CNN’s ‘Super Hero’ meets the inspiring athletes set to compete at the Tokyo Paralympics
CNN’s ‘Super Hero’ meets the inspiring athletes set to compete at the Tokyo Paralympics

CNN first speaks with two-time Paralympic swimmer Mallory Weggemann, who shares her journey to the podium after an epidural injection in 2008 left her paralyzed. Just three months later, she was back in the pool, going on to win gold and bronze medals at the London 2012 Paralympics. When pools were closed this year, due to the pandemic, Weggemann found alternative ways to train on dry land. 

Monika Seryu‘s life changed forever when she fell in a high school gym class and was left paralyzed below the chest. She took up para-canoeing — encouraged, in part, by a homeless man she befriended at the river. Now aged 23 and with the Paralympics just around the corner, the Tokyo native says she is looking forward to competing in her hometown.

Born without legs and missing fingers on his hands, Ryley Batt admits he wasn’t a fan of wheelchairs growing up – that is, until a fateful encounter with a wheelchair rugby demonstration set him on the path to mastering the sport. Now, the four-time Paralympian has two gold medals under his belt — and he’s been named co-captain of the Australia team at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Rugby isn’t the only sport played in a wheelchair — there’s also boccia, a ball sport that requires exceptional strategy and precision. CNN hears from Hong Kong-based Yuen-kei Ho, one of the world’s top ranked boccia players. Born with spinal muscular atrophy, she made her Paralympic debut in Rio in 2016, and has her sights set on becoming number one in Tokyo next year.

Finally, CNN meets Mpumelelo Mhlongo, a South African runner and long-jumper. Mhlongo has amniotic band syndrome, a rare condition which caused complications in the development of his limbs. Beyond his efforts on the track, Mhlongo is also a PHD student in chemical engineering and co-founder of a healthcare start-up, designed to improve medical resources in South Africa.

Super Hero trailer: https://bit.ly/3kTZy40 
Super Hero images:
https://bit.ly/2UB1VO8 

Airtimes for 30-minute special:
Saturday, November 28 at 7:00pm HKT
Sunday, November 29 at 10:00am and 2:00pm HKT

About CNN International 

CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 475 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI’s non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a WarnerMedia company.

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