Paralyzed Lower Body Athlete Suddenly Stands Up... Walks on Two Feet to Carry the Olympic Flame [Paris Olympics]

French Paralympic National Team Kevin Piet, Standing Up Alone Wearing an 'Exoskeleton Robot'

A Paralympic athlete paralyzed from the waist down due to a traffic accident wore an 'exoskeleton robot' and personally walked on two feet to participate in the torch relay.

On the 24th (local time), the UK Daily Mail reported that Kevin Piet (36), a member of the French Paralympic tennis national team, successfully walked with the aid of an exoskeleton robot. The exoskeleton robot Piet wore is attached to the sides of both legs to assist the muscles.

Kevin Piet carrying the torch [Image source=Capture from X]

Piet, once a promising tennis player, became paralyzed from the waist down after a traffic accident 11 years ago. However, his passion for tennis did not fade even after becoming disabled, and eventually, Piet is once again active as a world-class tennis player at the Paralympics.

He is also establishing himself as a new type of athlete in a sport called 'Cybathlon.' Cybathlon is a coined term combining 'Cyborg,' meaning artificial human, and the Latin word 'Athlon,' meaning athletic contest. It is a sports competition for people with disabilities hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. All athletes participating in this competition wear wearable robotic assistive devices utilizing advanced technology during the events.

Piet walking while wearing an exoskeleton device [Image source=Ex Capture]

The assistive device Piet wore during the torch relay was developed by a French wearable robot company. In the released video, as Piet stands up and takes steps, the surrounding audience cheers loudly.

The video spread across social media and the internet. Netizens who saw it responded enthusiastically with comments such as "Technological advancement makes us happy," "Imagine what the future will hold when exoskeleton robots become thinner and lighter," and "The most touching moment of this Olympics."

Meanwhile, the Olympic torch relay is an event held before every Summer Olympics. The 2024 Paris Olympic torch relay will conclude before the opening ceremony on the 27th. Recently, BTS member Jin made headlines as the first torchbearer for the section at the Louvre Museum in France.