Emmanuel Yeboah (cyclist)

For other people with the same name, see Emmanuel Yeboah.

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah is a Ghanaian athlete and disability rights activist from Koforidua. Yeboah was born in 1977^[1] with a severely deformed right leg.^[2] In 2001, he rode the 400 mi (644 km) across Ghana^[1] to bring attention to the plight of disabled people in that country.^[2] In the process, he applied for a grant of a bicycle from the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).^[2]

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah

Personal information
Full name	Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Nickname	Yeboah
Nationality	Ghanaian
Born	1977 Ghana
Sport
Country	South Africa
Sport	Cycling
Disability	Hemimelia

After completing the cross-country trek in Ghana, the CAF invited him to participate in the 2002 Triathlon Challenge in San Diego, CA.^[2] During the course of Yeboah's visit, doctors from Loma Linda University Medical Center informed him that he was an excellent candidate for a prosthetic leg.^[2] Following a successful surgery and six-week recovery, Yeboah entered the CAF triathlon, reducing his time by 3 hours.^[2] Yeboah was subsequently awarded the CAF Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award and Nike's Casey Martin award.^[2]

Yeboah received approximately $50,000 from those awards. Upon returning to Ghana, he used the money to open the Emmanuel Education Fund for promising students with disabilities.^[2][3] In 2005, Yeboah's story was captured in Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey.^[2] He is currently working on building schools for children in Ghana, with or without disabilities.^{[citation needed]} Usually, disabled kids in Ghana have to pay for their education, even at public schools.^{[citation needed]}