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French para-athlete carried the Olympic flame.
Credit: X/@anandmahindra
In a first of a kind instance, using a robotic exoskeleton, Kevin Piette, a French para-athlete, carried the Olympic flame in front of the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Tuesday.
An accident had left the French tennis star paraplegic around 11 years ago, however he returned to the game as a para-athlete, a media report stated.
The clip of the para-athlete carrying the flame is making several rounds on the internet, and has gathered millions of views. Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra also shared the post on X.
In the post he said, " The Games haven’t even begun, but this may well be a defining image of this edition of Olympics. Unyielding hope and courage."
The official Olympics site sharing the information on Kevin being the one of the torch bearers stated, “As one of the first testers, he has contributed to its improvement, even taking part in ‘cybathlons’, which are competitions in which people with disabilities use assistive technologies to carry out everyday activities. Currently used in rehabilitation, a personal version of the exoskeleton is being developed at present to enable greater independence at home. By carrying the Olympic Torch, Kevin inspires people to get involved in sport and promote innovation for the disabled!”
The exoskeleton, Atalante X, is made by a robotics company Wandercraft. The company claims, “Atalante X has a world-first self-balancing feature, meaning the exoskeleton can be used hands-free, keeping itself – and the user – upright at a wide range of motion. This allows stroke victims and those suffering from other mobility-reducing conditions to conduct physiotherapy in a safe environment."
The company also stated that it gamifies rehabilitation, wherein it hopes will make the difficult and occasionally disheartening process of regaining mobility more engaging
The company also gamifies rehabilitation, hoping to make the difficult process of regaining mobility more engaging.
Kevin has become an exoskeleton pilot for Wandercraft, the media report further added.