Taonere Banda is making history.
The 20-year-old, who was born visually impaired, has become Malawi's first, and only, Paralympic athlete.
The rising star competed in the women's T12-13 1500m, and even though she was disqualified for leaving her lane during the race, she made her country proud just for being able to compete at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
"When I go back to Malawi, I will make sure I encourage people with disabilities — they should work hard, take part in sports — so that one day the can carry the flag of Malawi," Banda told the BBC in the video above.
The young mom has been so dedicated to her sport that she hasn't spent time with her son since June to prepare for the Paralympics, and was able to do so thanks to funding from the International Paralympics Committee, the Malawian government and generous charity donations from Sightsavers, reports the BBC.
Watch the video above to learn more about this extraordinary athlete, who beat the odds to compete at the Paralympics.
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