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Paraplegic tennis player Kevin Piette provided an inspirational moment ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics as he was seen walking the Olympic Torch closer to its final destination.
He was able to do so with some help from a robotic exoskeleton.
Piette was involved in a crash 11 years ago which cost him the use of his legs. He hasn’t let that deter him from athletic excellence.
The wheelchair tennis singles paralympian ranks 141st in the IFT Singles standings, good for the 10th best mark amongst French players.
He made his mark at the 2024 Paris Games this week by getting the Olympic torch one step closer to the opening ceremony.
Making his trek in Poissy, which is about 20 miles outside of the French capital, he completed his section of the relay on Wednesday with a huge smile on his face.
The exosuit was created by Wandercraft, which is based in Paris.
More on the technology from Engadget.com:
Paris-based Wandercraft has announced that its latest “Atalante” exoskeleton has been updated to give paraplegic and other patients a more natural gait during rehabilitation exercises.
Exoskeletons (or exos, as they’re called in the industry) are powered “wearable robots” adapted to each user, designed to aid in walking rehabilitation treatments and restore a patient’s mobility.
The latest model is much smaller, more streamlined and more comfortable for patients, thanks to new hardware, tweaks in the fit and more intelligent software.
Thanks to that exoskeleton, Kevin Piette was able to stand upright while completing his portion of the Olympic Torch relay.
That relay will continue into Friday’s opening ceremony, though the games started two days prior on Wednesday with soccer group play.
While the event has yet to really get kicked off, Piette provided viewers with one of the most powerful images of the summer.