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The Fake Paralympians

1. Gold

Duration: 23 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC World Service AustralasiaLatest broadcast: on BBC World Service East Asia

Available for over a year

Ex-Paralympic swimmer Dan Pepper investigates the cheats who won gold and left a devastating legacy for learning disability sport.

Ray Torres used to get beaten up every day at school. He stood out because he had a learning disability. But when his dad gave him a basketball, he found an escape and a kind of friend that didn’t hit him or call him names. He took the ball everywhere - even using it as a pillow.

When Spain started an intellectual disability basketball team, Ray was picked as one of the best players in the country and within a few years he was made captain. And when he found out the team had qualified to take part in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, it was beyond his wildest dreams…

Presenter: Dan Pepper
Series Producer: Simon Maybin

(Photo credit: EPA) Show less

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