Amaris Vazquez Collazo, a sophomore at the University of Missouri, will represent Puerto Rico in track and field at the Paris Paralympics and will carry the island’s flag at the opening ceremony on Wednesday morning.
She will compete in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and long jump.
The Paris Paralympics run from Wednesday through September 8 and will be broadcast on NBC, CNBC, USA Network, and Peacock.
Vazquez Collazo was born with a foot deformity that led to amputation. At age 2, she received her first prosthetic leg.
“I started moving instantly,” she said. “My parents say I’ve been active ever since.”
She began competing in swimming and track and field at age 8 and always had her sights set on the Paris Games.
“Since I was 8, I’ve been telling everyone that my goal was to compete in the Paris Games in 2024,” she said.
In 2022, she was invited by the Puerto Rican national team to a track meet in Arizona. Last year, she made her debut at the World Para Athletics Championships.
Vazquez Collazo said that wearing the Puerto Rican flag on her chest is her biggest motivation.
Before heading to Paris, her friends and family gathered to cheer her on.
“You may not be with me in Paris, but I carry each of you in my heart,” she wrote in a recent Facebook post. “Your support gives me the confidence, joy, and encouragement every athlete needs before a competition.”
Vazquez Collazo is studying social work and hopes to attend law school.
