Paris - Angolan Juliana Moko is a Paralympic athlete who has conquered space on the national and international sports scene, and her participation in the Paris2024 Paralympic Games is an example of resilience and hope for millions of people in her condition.
Marcelino Camões, Journalist at ANGOP
Born with total visual impairment (class T11), on July 20, 2000, in the municipality of Cubal, Benguela province, Juliana found in sport a way to express herself and overcome challenges.
Since 2015 she has been dedicated to adapted athletics, as she told ANGOP in Paris, she was invited by coach João Gomes (teacher at the special education school) and the reaction was incredulity. After all, how could a visual run?
He received the proper explanation from the 'mister' that yes, it was possible through an athlete-guide, connected to a tape (rope), and then decided to try not to stop, to the point that he considers the sport today a 'lifeline' for the challenges it represents.
Another goal in the life of this speed specialist is academic training. The student of the Benguela special education school attends a double academic year, that is, she studies two modules or two classes (8th and 9th) pursuing the 'dream' of being a teacher.
Unlike most people in her condition, she says she has never been stigmatized because of her condition, in fact, she considers herself equal to any human being who faces difficulties in life and who runs in search of her goals.
His sports career, which began in 2015, did not take long to 'take off'. Prematurely, in 2016, she won her first national title in the José Sayovo Cup, following many other achievements that catapulted her to the national team and to the world of the elite of African and world adapted sport.
'When I was called up by mister José Manuel, I cried, because I never thought I would be next to international level athletes. At the international meeting, held in Botswana, I won three bronze medals, the first of many that came after,' she said.
In addition to her sporting achievements, Juliana Moko, who is inspired by Jerusa Geber (Brazilian) and José Sayovo (Angolan), is also known for her activism in favor of the rights of people with disabilities in the country.
She advocates for inclusion and access to sport for all, regardless of social, physical or religious beliefs.
Her voice echoes in the communities, in the school she attends, promoting change so that people with disabilities have equal opportunities.
Juliana Moko's presence at the 2024 Paralympic Games, which end on Sunday in Paris, is undoubtedly a great pride for Angola, nine years after the beginning of her athletic career.
The visual sprinter starred in a double feat in the French capital by breaking the national record in the 100 and 200 meters, which also belonged to a single athlete, Esperança Gicaso, already off the track.
In the 100m he clocked a time of 12.51, the previous national record was 12.61, beaten by Gicaso at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016.
In the 200m, she obtained the mark of 26.28, against 26.67 of her compatriot, also established in Rio de Janeiro 2016, fulfilling the objective set by the Angolan Paralympic Committee, which bets on the podium only in the Los Angeles games, in 2028.
Despite the admittedly positive results, if compared to the level and quality of training of her opponents (she competed in the semi-finals in the 100 and 200m, in addition to the eighths in the 400m), Juliana Moko thinks she could do better if the working conditions were different.
She said she prepared dedicatedly, because after being in the Tokyo edition in 2020, this time, she wanted to win a medal to justify her presence in the national team. 'I gave everything to medal and show mister José Manuel that it is worth continuing to bet on me'.
The national record holder duo reveals that, in her innermost thoughts, she considered the possibility of abandoning the sport, if she did not meet the goal of overcoming personal records. 'If I can't evolve in sport, it's better to dedicate myself entirely to my studies'.
However, Angola's fastest runner (100 and 200m) promises a podium at the 18th edition of the Paralympic Games in 2028, in Los Angeles, USA.
By then he will already be 28 years old, hopefully with enough experience to achieve such a desideratum.
Results in nine years of career
2016 – Won the José Sayovo Cup
2016 – Three bronze medals at the International Meeting in Botswana
2018 - Won the national championship in the 100, 200 and 400m
2018 - Bronze medal at the SADC Games (Botswana) in the three specialties
2019 - Won the national championship in all three specialties
2019 - Won the gold medal in the 100m, silver in the 200m and bronze in the 400m
at the Tunisian International Meentig
2020 - Dubai World Championships - did not medal
2021- Three-time national champion
2021 - Tokyo Paralympic Games – eighth position in the 100 and 200m. Ninth position in the 400m
2022 - Three-time national champion
2022 – Silver medal in the 100 and 200m and bronze in the 400m at the Meentig International in Morocco
2023 - Three-time national champion
2023 - Gold medal in the 400m, silver in the 100 and 200m at the Tunisian International Meentig
2023 - Silver medal in the 100 and 200m, bronze in the 400 at the Meentig International of Morocco
2023 - Paris World Championships - did not medal
2024 - Paris Paralympic Games - semi-finals and national record in the 100 and 200m. MC/ADR/DOJ
