In 2002, at the age of 19, Macoumba, a young Senegalese, was sent to France by his father to try to improve the living conditions of his
Shortly after his arrival in France, he went to a migrant home in Grenada to sell sculptures.
as a street vendor, but he couldn’t sell a single one.
As his tourist visa was about to expire, Macoumba decided to join the French Foreign Legion as his last hope
to stay in France. His exceptional physical condition quickly distinguished him, becoming one of the best shooters of his promotion.
This distinction has led to deployments in various conflict zones, including Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti and the Central African Republic.
However, in 2008, during an operation, he was hit in the spine, leaving his legs paralyzed. Despite this accident, he remained
resolutely optimistic. In 2011, he made the courageous choice to return to Senegal, despite the stigma related to disability. There, he
launched in the real estate sector, engaged in humanitarian actions and devoted itself to the professional competition in handbike.
Currently ranked 8th at the world level in para-cycling, his ultimate goal is to represent Senegal worthily at the Paralympic Games
2024.
This remarkable journey illustrates Macoumba’s self-sacrifice in his quest to defend the colors of Senegal on the international scene,
highlighting its indomitable spirit and the incredible resilience that characterizes its history.
This work is mentored by the ITEM collective for one year and was a finalist for WorldPress 2024 in the category story and received a special mention for All About Photo Awards 2024.