Ade Adepitan, MBE, overcame polio as a child to become an international wheelchair basketball player and a prominent TV presenter. He has reported on significant issues, such as government cuts to the Disability Living Allowance for Channel 4’s Dispatches and the defection of Cuban sports stars for Unreported World. In "Ade Adepitan: Journey of My Lifetime," he returned to Nigeria to investigate why polio remains endemic.
Ade was a key figure in the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, presenting Bafta-winning coverage for Channel 4 alongside Clare Balding. He also appeared on BBC’s The One Show, creating films and making studio appearances. His sports presenting includes That Paralympic Show, British Basketball - Game On, and the Eindhoven Swimming Championships for Channel 4. He has covered the Beijing Paralympics, the Paralympic World Cup, and the European Championships for the BBC.
Ade has hosted his documentary for Radio Five Live, "A Pair of Trainers," and reported for ITV1’s The Boat Show and BBC One’s Holiday series, travelling to various international locations. He acted in BBC One’s Desperados, the film Freight, ITV1’s Hardware, and BBC One’s Casualty. In 2005, he participated in Beyond Boundaries, a BBC Two documentary series that took him across Nicaragua.
He has been a recognisable face in BBC One idents and presented BBC’s X-Change programme for five years. Other credits include Channel Five’s Tiger Tiger and LWT’s Dream Ticket. Ade has also been involved in high-profile public speaking, including the launch of the 2012 Olympic bid with Tony Blair.
Ade represented Great Britain in wheelchair basketball at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics, winning a bronze medal, and has competed in European and World Championships. He is an ambassador for the NSPCC and a patron for The Association of Wheelchair Children and Scope. For his contribution to disabled sport, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Loughborough University and an MBE. In 2010, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of East London. Ade completed the London Marathon in 2007 and now enjoys wheelchair tennis.
This speech explores the inspiring journeys of athletes preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It focuses on their rigorous training, personal sacrifices, and the mental and physical resilience required to compete at the highest level, celebrating their dedication and the spirit of the Olympic Games.
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