Iranian born Siamand Rahman who is the world’s strongest Paralympian met with a group of Japanese kids at The Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center last week. The Nippon Foundation, a private non-profit humanitarian organization which supports activities in social welfare, public health and educational programs, has partnered with Tokyo 2020 to raise awareness for the upcoming 2020 Paralympic Games.
Rahman is the first power lifter to break the 300 kg barrier in power lifting. He broke the barrier at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics lifting a staggering 310 kg (680 lb). Rahman has placed first at the Paralympic power lifting competition in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. He will be looking to continue his Paralympic winning streak at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Rahman was born in 1989 in Oshnaviyeh, Iran and began his powerlifting career in 2010. His first international competition, the IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, saw him bench press 260.0 kilograms (573.2 lb), a lift that was good enough to place him second and earn him a silver medal at the competition. However, that was not all that Rahman accomplished that day as he actually broke an IPC Powerlifting World Championships record. On his fourth lift Rahman bench pressed a staggering 285.0 kilograms (628.3 lb), which unfortunately did not count towards his placing in the competition.
Rahman’s promotional trip to Japan was intended to drum up enthusiasm for the 2020 Paralympic Games and educate both adults and children about the amazing feats of athleticism that people with disabilities can achieve.
