Maryam Rezaei
Chrissoula Manolakaki
Panos Chreppas
Stamatis Tsagias
Asimeni TountaMakis Kalaras
Makis Kalaras looks like a bad boy or a tough guy… but as soon you talk to him, you get so charmed by his manners and his soft and sensitive heart! He is a nice guy dressed as a tough guy! He is extra smart and funny, a ladies’ man and a charmer, extra skilled in so many things… a man of many talents! He stops at nothing… a man that no matter what life had planned for him, he has taken life by the horns and shaped it to his needs!
Makis has always been an adrenaline lover… a man of speed! Riding his motorcycle one day, changed his life… due to an accident, he was faced with not being able to walk from the age of 17. I think we cannot even begin to imagine what that could mean… as just having a bad hair day or a running nose is quite enough to keep us from getting out of the house! But not for Makis Kalaras… he faced the facts and moved on! He says his family and friends helped him enormously in not feeling sorry and they insisted on him getting out of the house and live! People like Makis are the motivators and inspirers! He didn’t just survive, but he has become a symbol of hope for so many people…
After a short period of adjusting to his new life, Makis finished his studies and entered the world of graphic design and adverting… I personally haven’t heard many people on a wheel chair having tried so many jobs! He has also done some modelling for a line of clothing! But his passion and life is sports! He has tried almost every kind of sports before and especially after his accident! Ok here we go… he received 5th place worldwide in heavy weight lifting, Bronze medal in discus throw in Athens 2004 Paralympic games, Gold medal in track and field in 2005 European Helsinki summer games, Gold medal in the world cup track and field games in Aspen and the list is long!!! As if that wasn’t enough, Makis Kalaras wanted to try the winter games also! So today he is the only Greek Paralympic Athlete that has participated in both summer and winter Paralympic games! What is his winter sport? Sitski…and he is the only Greek athlete in this specific sport! Makis Kalaras has already participated in the 2014 Winter games in Russia and is getting ready for the South Korea in 2018! Ofcourse in between he is participating in many other events and programs, such as speaking in schools about what it means to be in a wheel chair, has coaching and motivating many groups of people who are struggling with their life being in wheel chairs and helping them out in every way he can! He gets daily mails from people asking for his help on everyday tips in how to go about things when one is in a wheel chair…
I think what I will keep as a lesson for myself and what amazed me is when he told me that if he would go back and could change anything from his life, it sure wouldn’t be his accident!!! As he says it’s FANTASTIC being on wheels!!! Makis Kalaras is a REAL mentor and an inspirer… A super power on Wheels!
https://www.facebook.com/makiskalaraso/
