Brooklyn-based taekwondo para athlete overcomes tragedy, homelessness to fight for gold

Ismael Ox survived an attack that left him without a hand.

Now, the Brooklyn-based para athlete is celebrating a series of victories, from overcoming homelessness to getting his American citizenship.

"I never feel disability"

You might walk by a park in Bed-Stuy and see Ox, 25, training in taekwondo. No stadium lights, no sponsors, just sheer determination. But look a little closer, and you'll see what a fighter really looks like.

At just 11 years old, in his village in Niger, Ox tried to save his neighbors from a grenade launched by members of the militant group Boko Haram.

"I tried to find a way to throw it away from everybody, so everybody will not get like dying or injured. So before I throw it, it explode. But everybody survived. It's just my hand," Ox said.

He lost his right hand, but didn't quit his sport. Instead, he learned to adapt.

"I never feel disability or maybe something missing or anything," he said.

Rain or shine, he's chasing a dream most people would have given up on long ago. Today he's a para athlete in one of the most competitive adaptive sports: taekwondo.

In an interview translated from French, his coach Ali Amadou called him "a diamond in the rough."

Paralympic dreams

Then came another fight. Ox arrived in the United States alone at 17 and was homeless for weeks with nothing but a dream. That persistence paid off. He went through the foster care system, was adopted by a loving family, and last year became an American citizen.

"I just so happy. I don't know how to express it. Just one big emotion to make you excited, make you feel good, make you feel like these great people and you are part of them," Ox said.

Filmmaker Chris Chu has been documenting his journey.

"Every experience that he's had, he's never made it like a problem that holds him back. It only just motivates him. And he never used as an excuse," Chu said.

Ox is supported by a loyal community of friends and athletes he's managed to build in his new home.

"Not just that you have that dream, but that you commit to it through your actions every single day," said friend Jan Avendano.

At tournaments across the globe, he's raking in medals, preparing for his shot at Paralympic gold. He's now qualified to compete for Team USA and is hoping to make his Paralympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

"It's just amazing to be part of this big society and be with all these people and then be able to represent the country I wanted to be in since I was young," Ox said.

Perhaps a reminder that the strongest fighters are often built off the mat.

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