By Will Castle

Five-time Paralympic athlete Abdi Jama is looking to finally end Britain’s semi-final curse by challenging for his first gold medal at Paris 2024.

The 41-year-old was born in Somalia but moved to Liverpool with his six siblings as a child, where he discovered his passion for wheelchair basketball.

Thanks to his passion, Jama has become one of the greatest talents in the world: he won a bronze medal three times at the Paralympic Games, became European champion five times and became world champion in 2018.

And with Britain having failed to reach the semi-finals at all four Paralympic Games that Jama has competed in, winning bronze in Beijing, Rio and Tokyo, the wheelchair basketball player is determined to finally bring home that elusive gold in Paris.

“It feels great to be going to my fifth Paralympic Games,” he said.

“We just have to get past that omen of the semi-finals. If we get through that, then it’s gold for us, I’m sure of that.

“We won the European Championship, we won the World Championship, we are only missing one gold medal.

“We’ve been close so many times and it’s the same with World Cups in the past, where we’ve missed little details, but with the way we’re going now and with the team we have, we’re ready for that challenge. For me, it’s nothing less than a final.

“We have a great group, and the banter and camaraderie is amazing. I’m looking forward to competing with these world-class athletes and players.”

Jama grew up in a large family in Liverpool and knows that the team behind the team is one of the most important aspects of his competitive career.

Jama himself has a young daughter who has yet to see him compete on the Paralympic stage, as Rio is too far away and there are no spectators in Tokyo. He admitted that he would even be prepared to compete with the school visitors if it meant the young lady could see her father win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in the French capital.

“I have an 11-year-old daughter and it’s great to be a role model for her and others,” he said.

“It will be a bit difficult for her to go with school, but hopefully she will come if we make the final, because it is the weekend. So, no pressure for us to make the final!

“My sisters and a few friends are coming too. The last time they came was in London. So it’s a compliment to get so much support from people who have been there from day one.”

And with the fifth Games approaching, Jama hopes spectators in Paris will be inspired by his story, in which he overcame a world of obstacles to realise his dreams of competing in five Paralympic Games.

“When I started playing sports, I was just a kid raised by a single mom,” he said. “It was a challenge for me to get here, but if I can do it, anyone can do it.

“If you work hard and commit, anything is possible.”

Aldi is a proud official partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB and will support all athletes through to Paris 2024.