Solvay supports record-holding athletes in Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

 

Solvay (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.) is partnering with three international medal winners and record-holding athletes — Ambra Sabatini, Kgothatso Montjane and Trenten Merrill — to support them in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

In this two-year journey, the group aims to promote values embodied by the athletes, such as performance, dedication, perseverance and winning drive, through its Solvay 4 Sport initiative. Those core values are at the heart of Solvay’s purpose, the company says, believing steadfastly that it is unity and not uniformity that allows society to achieve the greatest results.

In 2019, Ambra Sabatini survived a car accident that resulted in the amputation of her left leg. She overcame her natural discouragement and went on to achieve greatness by establishing herself as the fastest Paralympic sprinter in the world. Sabatini holds the record for completing the 100-meter sprint in 14.11 seconds, which she achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.  Her goal is to complete the 100-meter sprint in under 14 seconds.

“For me, the word resilience has a precise value: it means rising from a moment of discouragement and finding a reason to move forward,” Sabatini says.

At the age of 14, Trenten Merrill was struck by a car which resulted in his right foot being amputated. But Merrill had a childhood dream to become a professional athlete and within a short time after the accident, he was back to competing in volleyball, MMA and motocross. He made his first Paralympic team in 2016 and broke the American record for long jump that same year. He has set the record twice more in 2018 and 2021.

“When I was in the hospital, [I still had] hope that I could be an athlete again,” Merrill notes. “When I received my prosthetic, that was one of the turning moments. I knew I could get through it.”

Kgothatso Montjane was born with a congenital disorder, and at the age of 12, her left leg was amputated below the knee. Despite this, as well as socioeconomic adversity, she is considered one of the greatest athletes in the world. Montjane is a conqueror of the tennis court, currently holding 29 singles titles, and is the first black south African woman to ever play at the Wimbledon championships. 

“No worthwhile journey is without its challenges. It’s the rough road that ends in greatness,” Montjane adds.

“Ambra, Trenten and Kgothatso are role models on and off the field and court, an inspiration for everyone and the demonstration that nothing is impossible,” Nathalie van Ypersele, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Solvay, says. “We believe opportunity, possibility and greatness are achievable when we collectively recognize, respect and celebrate that which makes each of us unique, yet intrinsically human. Our differences, visible or not, are valued and celebrated — they are the spark that ignites innovation and shared value for all.” 

Solvay’s partnership with the athletes helps to reinforce the group’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program, which aims to create equal opportunities regardless backgrounds, ages, genders, races, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations and identities, and abilities. As part of its vision to create an environment that champions diversity and eliminates any form of discrimination, Solvay has set nine ambitious targets to be achieved by 2025 through “Solvay One Dignity.” Solvay is regularly communicating progress on its DEI objectives in the group’s annual integrated reporting.