Talai’s story

In his childhood Alexei Talai lost both his legs and arms in an accident. He tried to put out a fire, but there happened to be  an old artillery shell in the burning room. It exploded and Alexei was seriously injured.   Miraculously, he survived, but ahead of him lay a completely different life — surgery, rehabilitation and self-acceptance. Years later, Alexei became a master of sports in swimming, and a member of the Belarus Paralympic team. He also achieved a black belt in Taekwondo. Sport became a kind of psychological support for Alexei.   He now has a big family with four children. The family is a very important part of his life. In addition to sports, Alexei is active in public life. He founded a charitable foundation, and successfully acts as a motivational speaker and coach.   Alexei holds several world and European records. In September 2019, he set a world record in the 50m breaststroke at the Paralympic Swimming World Championships in London.