How These 2 Members Of The Paralympic Refugee Team Got To The Games

The Tokyo Paralympics are officially underway after Tuesday's moving opening ceremony (which you can catch up on here).

Its iconic "Parade of Athletes" kicked off with the Refugee Paralympic Team, a six-person delegation that organizers have called "the world's most courageous sports team." The athletes — one woman and five men — will compete in Para Athletics, Para Swimming, Para Canoe and Taekwondo.

"They represent more than 82 million people around the world who have been forced to flee war, persecution, and human rights abuses, 12 million of whom live with a disability," the International Paralympic Committee notes.

Here & Now — from NPR and member station WBUR — spoke with two of its members earlier this summer about their journey to, and hopes for, the Games.

Swimmer Abbas Karimi has already made history

Abbas Karimi, who was born without arms, fled Afghanistan at age 16 and lived in four different refugee camps before making it to the U.S. to swim competitively.

He made history at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships, where he swam the men's 50-meter butterfly and became the first refugee athlete to reach the podium there.

Karimi, 24, calls competing in the Paralympics a "dream come true." Getting there was some journey, especially since he moved around so much. He left Afghanistan first for Iran, then Turkey, and had to find a new pool and coach every time he moved refugee camps. He now lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

His butterfly in particular took years to perfect. He says for swimmers without arms, the notoriously difficult stroke involves dolphin kicking, lots of core and fewer chances to come up for air.

Karimi will compete in the men's 50-meter butterfly and 50-meter backstroke on Friday and Monday, respectively. And he says it's an honor to represent millions of displaced people, as well as people — especially kids — with disabilities.

"No one is the same in this world and everyone is different," he says. "But we all have to accept [ourselves] and accept each other the way we are."

Listen to the interview here and in the audio player below.

Discus thrower Shahrad Nasajpour hopes to one day join Team USA

Discus thrower Shahrad Nasajpour, who was born with cerebral palsy, left Iran to seek asylum in the U.S. in 2015.

He lives in Arizona and hopes to earn U.S. citizenship status — and a spot on Team USA — in the next two years.

Nasajpour says his relationship with the sport wasn't love at first sight, but after a few weeks, he was hooked. He made the Iranian national team in 2011 and traveled to two international competitions with those athletes.

Nasajpour left the team after several years in part because of its religious practice requirements, regardless of athletes' personal beliefs. He says he appreciates that athletes in the U.S. are valued because of their performance rather than their point of view.

His own athletic achievements are noteworthy: He holds multiple national and international titles, and says he can throw past the 50-meter mark. He will compete in the shot put on Friday.

Nasajpour has limited mobility on his left side and says he's worked to push those limits. He encourages others to adopt a similar mindset about whatever challenges they face.

"Everybody fails in their life in different points," Nasajpour says. "Just do not take those no answers as a response. Just go get it, I think, that's the best thing in life you can do."

Listen to the interview here and in the audio player below.

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.