Malta’s only blade runner, Antonio Flores, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on the local platform Zaar to fund his dream of competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games.

Who is Antonio?

Antonio is a Paralympic athlete whose dream is to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Having been born with a clubfoot, Antonio underwent multiple surgeries at a very young age which were unfortunately unsuccessful in correcting the condition. But this didn’t stop him from developing a passion for athletics, particularly running.

After having made history in 2008 by competing in the Beijing Paralympics, Antonio’s foot began shooting frequent pain, to the extent that he had to make a choice between giving up running and living with the pain or amputating his foot. Knowing that the latter would give him the chance of returning to the track with the help of a running blade, he chose this option.

Just 20 months following surgery, and as Malta’s only blade runner, Antonio is now preparing to compete in Tokyo 2020.

Antonio’s dream

Through the project #AntonioTokyo2020, Antonio hopes to represent our islands again in the Paralympics. To make his dream of competing in such a prestigious sporting event come true, he must first become classified into the blade runner category in an official international Paralympic competition, where he must achieve a qualifying time in order to move onto the next stage.

To raise the significant amount of money needed to compete in the Paralympics, Antonio has turned to crowdfunding. “Life as an amputee runner is very expensive and, as one can imagine, keeping up with the costs is not an easy task,” he explains. “That’s why I’m eager to find backers to help on this amazing journey – with the support of the public and a lot of hard work, I may be able to proudly represent Malta once more!”

Antonio’s ZAAR campaign

All contributions received on the #AntonioTokyo2020 Zaar campaign, which has a total funding target of €2,000, will help to cover various expenses including flights, accommodation and the fees required to become classified. The funds raised will also be put towards the training camps and training equipment needed, including expense related to Antonio’s prosthesis.

“It is very hard for all local athletes, let alone ones with physical disabilities, to get funding in order to be able to participate and represent their country in international competitions,” he says. “Since we do not yet have an official financial sponsor, we hope to appeal to our loyal followers in Malta who may be willing to contribute via crowdfunding. In fact, we chose Zaar as we wanted to connect with the general public via a local platform that makes it easy for them to donate online, while using Zaar’s crowdfunding expertise to help us make the project a success.”

You can make a difference!

Head over to the #AntonioTokyo2020 campaign page on www.zaar.com.mt to make a donation. As well as having that feel-good feeling of helping a local Paralympian, backers can also expect to receive a gift as a gesture of thanks, depending on the sum donated. These include official project-logos merch such as signed thank-you cards, pens, headphones, towels and t-shirts.