On Monday 11 October 2021 we had the pleasure and honor to host in our school a great man and at the same time one of the top athletes in the sport of para-swimming, Yannis Kostakis. Having won many medals as well as world and European records in all the world and para-Olympic competitions, in which he has participated continuously since 1998, the athlete gave us «strong» messages about how we should face life, even when the conditions are not ideal.
In particular, he stressed that «if I wasn't a swimmer, I would still be a swimmer, since my great love is this sport. I fell in love with water as a baby, because first I swam in the sea and then I walked... In the water I feel freedom, I move, I swim, I do the sport I have loved since I was a child. I can't imagine my life without it, because it is now a way of life.».
He also referred to the difficulties faced by people with disabilities in Greece in the field of accessibility and the goals we should set in our lives and the effort we should make in order to achieve them. He made special reference to his participation in the recent Paralympic Games of «Tokyo 2020», which were held without fans (due to covid 19) and the 2004 Athens Olympics, which had a special and emotional character. The top athlete answered all the questions of our students from primary to 11th grade with incredible willingness. We concluded the event by offering souvenirs and capturing the moments with our camera.
