Résumé
Paralympic star Morteza Mehrzad excels at sitting volleyball.
He went from being a “big weird boy” to an internationally recognized star overnight.
The athlete is an example: he knew how to transform his handicap into a strength to move forward, and found an escape in sport.
Summary
Morteza MehrzadIranian player of volley-ball assisEast “from freak show to celebrity”. Suffering from acromegaly, this volleyball player measuring 2.46 meters is perceived as a “gentle giant”. He holds three records: the tallest man in Iran, the tallest Paralympian of all time and the second tallest living human.
The 36 year old athlete was spotted by his coach 13 years ago on a reality TV show. He became a sitting volleyball star after overcoming the label of “freak” like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. For the Paris 2024 Games, he is in search of his third Paralympic gold medal.
From reality TV to Paralympic glory
It all began in 2011. Hadi Rezaei, Iranian national team coach sitting volleyball player, spots Morteza Mehrzad on television. The great athlete was participating in a show designed to promote people with disabilities. The coach then hurried to contact the production company to get in touch with the one nicknamed “the big boy”.
After much negotiation, Hadi Rezaei managed to persuade the volleyball player to take part in a para-volleyball career. From the top of its 246 cm, these are the beginnings of his successes in sitting volleyball on international courts. The attacker won gold with his teammates at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and of Tokyo in 2021. Today, he is back to try to win another medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Acromegaly: A Disability That Becomes a Strength
Like any person with a disability, the athlete had to face the difficult gaze of others. Acromegaly is difficult to cope with on a daily basis: “The physique that I once considered very bad has helped me in this game and I was able to make good use of it,” he had confessed to theAgence France-Presse (AFP) before the Games. Sport is like an outlet for Morteza Mehrzad.
Before becoming a famous Paralympic champion, he attracted attention because of his disability. Hadi Razaei, his coach, explained to the microphone of Release : “Before he became famous, when he left his house, everyone looked at him strangely. Now everyone wants to take a picture. He became a champion.” His extraordinary physical peculiarity is today a source of pride which has allowed him to excel in his field.
Also read
