Aziza Benhami: “You have to believe in your dreams, I’m the proof”

Aziza Benhami, Para Archery champion supported and employed by BPCE Infogérance & Technologies (BPCE-IT), participated in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. She shares her life journey that led her to this exceptional event, despite being told by doctors that she would never be able to play sports.

How did you get into sports, particularly archery?

I never did sports… Since childhood, I was always told I couldn’t. At school, at the beginning of the year, I always had my medical exemption certificate. My doctor explained to me that with my disability, it was impossible. I suffered from the effects of polio from the age of one, affecting all my limbs, especially my legs. I walk with difficulty and tire easily.

How did the situation change?

At 35, I wanted to try sports. I remembered some archery sessions I had at a rehabilitation center before starting school. Fortunately, there was an archery club in my town, Cugnaux, near Toulouse. I called and explained my situation to the president. There were no licensed athletes with disabilities in the club, but he gave me the best possible answer: “Come and we’ll see.”

This response changed your life…

Yes… I went to the club and was taken under the wing of a coach, Olivier Vassal, who, although he had never coached an athlete with a disability, adapted well; he embraced the project, sought to understand, and we progressed together. This club took the time to educate itself about the regulations and the affiliation with the FFH (French Handisport Federation). We worked together. When there’s a will, there’s a way… The same goes for the coach; we tested things and grew together.

How did you progress to competitions?

I took my first license in 2012 and brought back from my first championships in 2015 the title of vice-champion of France. At first, I just wanted to have fun… And in my first competition, I scored 39 points, out of a possible 600. I had never been happier. It was an able-bodied competition, because we compete with the able-bodied, in the same conditions, with the same distances. This first competition was my little revenge for all the times I had been told that I wouldn’t be able to do sports.

What impact has engaging in sports had on your health and your life?

First of all, there was a therapeutic effect. I had back pain and after six months of archery practice, it disappeared. I gained a little musculature, which was very beneficial and then I discovered a competitive spirit. I was quickly hooked. It was very rewarding to stand on the podium and compete in the middle of the able-bodied. I was part of a club in my own right, without distinction and, in this, disability did not exist.

How did you reach the elite level?

I quickly developed Paralympic ambitions, particularly when Paris was selected to host the 2024 Paralympic Games. This involved progressing within larger organizations so I joined the Balma Arc Club (Haute-Garonne) which was close to my workplace, initially training two to three times a week. I won several national championship titles (six titles and four silver medals). Then I trained every day except Sundays and joined the French national team in 2022. In 2023, I secured a quota for Paralympic participation, and in the spring of 2024, I received my official selection for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. It felt completely surreal because at first, when I mentioned wanting to compete in the Paralympic Games, it didn’t seem very realistic… and yet it happened! Just like when you express a childhood dream and one day, that dream comes true.

When you think back to what the doctors used to tell you…

I hope that doctors no longer have the same perspective today. I believe that regarding sports for people with disabilities, some medical barriers must have been broken down. As for me, my health continued to improve through sports; I pushed my limits of fatigue and strengthened my muscle capacity…

How was the preparation for the Games alongside your job?

My recognition as a high-level athlete in 2024 significantly eased the situation. This status allowed me to secure leave for training camps and international competitions, as well as a flexible schedule within my department with my supervisor. As a result, I was able to free up to three afternoons a week for training. This has been crucial.

Tell us about your discovery of the Olympic archery site at Les Invalides, one of the most beautiful venues of Paris 2024…

It was THE most beautiful site of the Games… In 2022, Sébastien Flute – Olympic champion in 1992 – had presented the project to us. It was fantastic but it was only a project. I was lucky enough to attend the archery events at the Olympic Games. There, we went from the project to reality and it was very moving. The configuration with the Dôme des Invalides on the back was grandiose.

And then, on the day of the competition?

We arrive in what we call an arena and it was really the case! Usually, in our competitions, there is no one or almost no one, here, it was full of people chanting my name… I took one or two minutes to soak it all in, I looked for my family in the audience, and then I went back to my bubble to play my round of 16. I shot at my level but my Iranian opponent was stronger. It remains a very nice experience…

Did you attend the various ceremonies?

I didn’t participate in the opening ceremony because I was shooting the next day. On the other hand, I took part in the closing ceremony, which was magical. I appreciated it even more, it was a way of turning a page, of saying to myself “We did it…” we can enjoy it.”

One month after the end of the Paralympic Games, what remains of this moment?

Only good memories, the fervour of the supporters… During the mixed competition, it was raining heavily but people stayed… I still can’t believe I took part in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games!

How do you explain its success?

A number of people who had left Paris and regretted missing the Olympic Games came to attend the Paralympic Games. Then, the media coverage was significant and the price of the tickets played a role. And then, there were many schoolchildren who set the mood; I was even stopped by high school students who told me “It was so good!” If we manage to impact this generation on disability, it’s really positive!

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games aimed to change the way people look at disability. Have you ever noticed this in your daily life, around you?

I think it’s still too early. I hope and I believe in it but we have to wait… Not even a month after the Paralympic Games, no minister dedicated to people with disabilities was in the government, fortunately, it ended up happening… I hope above all that in the long term, it will open doors, especially for people with severe disabilities.

You are individually supported by BPCE Infogérance & Technologies (BPCE-IT), the company of which you are an employee. How did you experience the support of your colleagues?

I resumed at the beginning of October because I had taken a holiday after Paris 2024. I opened my emails when I arrived, it was crazy, the support of colleagues…

As a Premium Partner, Groupe BPCE was very involved in Paris 2024. How did this inspire you?

I am proud to be sponsored by BPCE-IT, and I was also proud to say that I work for a premium partner group. And then I was put forward by Groupe BPCE, many employees I didn’t know came to see me to encourage me… It was magical. We then went to celebrate at the Petit Palais which had been privatized, and, after the closing ceremony, the entire French delegation was welcomed at Club France in an unforgettable atmosphere. It was magnificent!

In concrete terms, how has BPCE-IT’s support helped you?

For example, to compete in major competitions you need to have two bows, because in case of a technical problem, the time of the repair, you need a 2nd bow. But I only had one because it’s expensive. Thanks to the help of BPCE Infogérance & Technologies, I was able to buy this 2nd arc to compete in the Paralympic Games. Another example, when I travel by train to go to a training camp or competition, these long journeys are extremely tiring for me. This help allowed me to make some plane trips and not to arrive too tired for a training camp or competition. And above all, I benefited from adjustments to my working hours at BPCE-IT to train.

How should access to sport for a person with a disability evolve after this summer of 2024?

Club leaders should not be afraid of people with disabilities… We need to train coaches, as was the case with my coach at Balma who had never coached a person with a disability before. The French Archery Federation has set up training courses for the French Archery… It is essential that managers and coaches open up to this world.

Is the media coverage of certain Paralympic champions important for this movement?

The more we talk about it, the better, we’ll be able to reach people who were thinking: “I can’t do sports”. In fact, sport is a factor of integration…. Whatever the disability, you can play sports…

What did these Paralympic Games bring you on a personal level?

It reinforced my idea that when you really want something, you can get it. I am proof of that. I’m not saying it’s easy, but with effort and desire, you can achieve your dreams. At 18, I couldn’t get my driving licence because I had to go to a special school, have an adapted car that is expensive. That’s disability! But I didn’t stop there.

Shopping is difficult, studying was difficult. The college was more than a kilometer from my home, it was complicated to get there. The same goes for the high school, then the faculty 25 km away, the bus, the metro… And still, I don’t have too much of a disability, I’m not in a wheelchair, but it was a struggle. I was tired in the morning because I hadn’t slept because of the pain in my legs. In addition to the physical fatigue, there is also the psychological fatigue for all the administrative procedures that must be undertaken…

You have competed in a mixed event, there are more and more events of this type on the Olympic and Paralympic programme, do you think this is a good thing?

Paris 2024 is the first Games to have achieved parity and that is very important. Women have their place in the world of sport. This is how we offer young girls images to identify with.

How are the next few months shaping up for you? Whatever happens, will sport continue to be a part of your life?

I won’t stop sport, it has come into my life and it is not going to come out… Archery is my sport! I can’t run or jump. I have already started training again, I missed it… even though my body told me “pause”… It is addictive and it has also helped me in my work because archery requires concentration. It’s very technical, very rigorous, you can’t be impulsive, can’t rush headlong… So many important qualities in the work…

And now… Los Angeles in four years?

It will depend on how my body reacts. He was put to the test for two years. I have to take the time to recover. My supporting leg is starting to hurt, I have overused it. But again, it was so magical. So we will think about Los Angeles.

To discover which athletes, para athletes and teams are supported by Groupe BPCE companies: