Very few people outside of the Republic of Angola are aware of José Sayovo’s remarkable journey to becoming a world champion. From humble beginnings, he would enter the armed forces at a very young age as there were very few opportunities beyond military service in his home country.

In 1998, at 25 years of age, while on a military mission as a Sargent, he would fall victim to an anti-tank mine and be permanently blinded.

Thankfully, the Angolan Paralympic Committee persuaded Sayovo to start training for Paralympic track events. At the time of the accident it was impossible for Sayovo himself to believe that he could even walk on his own, let alone compete on an international level in track.  He couldn’t have been more mistaken.

At the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, José Armando Sayovo set four world records and took home three gold medals for Angola in the T11 events in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters.

At the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, he was the runner up in all three events to his protégé, the current world champion, the Brazilian, Lucas Prado. Ironically, it was Sayovo’s success at the Athens Paralympic games in 2004 that inspired Lucas Prado to dedicate his life to Athletics after he himself lost his vision in 2003.

Sayovo’s objective now for the London Paralympic Games in 2012 is to once again take home gold in all three events and to break the 11 second threshold in the 100 meter dash.