Paralympics 2024: Trinidad's Akeem Stewart wins silver, govt to honour him with $150,000

Trinidad and Tobago-based Paralympic athlete Akeem Stewart has made significant strides in international games and made his country proud. The athlete recently won a silver medal in the men's discus F64 event at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris with a throw of 59.66m.

Akeem's silver medal throw during his first attempt at the 2024 Paralympic Games in the Stade de France. Akeem previously brought home gold and silver from the Rio 2016 Paralympics, and he added to his cabinet, making Trinidad and Tobago proud once again.

The 32-year-old also marked the season's best distance of 59,66 meters during the games to grab this 3rd Paralympic medal and finished behind American Jeremy Campell, who secured gold.

Following his achievement, the Ministry of Sport and Community Development of Trinidad and Tobago said that Stewart would be awarded $150,000 for his outstanding performance at the games. 

The announcement was made through a press release which noted that this grant is part of the National Incentives and Rewards Framework, which is a policy that seeks to honour athletes who have received medals of highest recognition in international competitions in various sporting disciplines. 

Meanwhile, Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis stated that Akeem's determination, commitment, and performance are worth celebrating as he made Trinidad and Tobago Proud. She continued that the reward is also part of the ministry's goal to support Trinidad and Tobago's athletes.

The Minister added, "We are inspired not only by Akeem's performance but also by those athletes who have medalled in all other disciplines and surpasses their personal bests on the global stage."

Notably, the athlete received $450,000 in 2019 for his gold medal in the men's javelin as well as a silver in the men's discus at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. 

In 2020, he received $181,250 for achieving a gold medal in the discus and a silver medal in the javelin at the 2019 Parapan American Games and in 2024 he received $37,500 for his gold medal at the 2023 Para Pan American Games.