French Guiana
Chantell Pushparajalingam will carry the Olympic torch. This is her story:
Chantell treasures the memories of watching sports events with her father when she was a child. When he was still alive, he encouraged her to excel in school and taught her about the wonderful opportunities that sport would bring her to grow as a person and feel better in her skin. She realised that having mixed origins could be both a source of strength and a misunderstood difference. As a teenager, she was the victim of nasty jokes and a target of prejudice against her Sri Lankan roots.
She found solace in sport. She tried her hand at various disciplines, such as gymnastics, taekwondo, traditional Sri Lanka dances and, finally, track and field, where she found a second home. After serving as a judge and volunteer in her club, she went on to coach young athletes in middle schools and several clubs in metropolitan France and French Guyana, where she continued her professional career. For Chantell, carrying the Olympic torch is a personal triumph and a tribute to her father, as well as a recognition of the passion for sport that has always been a driving force in her life.
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