Paralympic champion Taliso Engel (22) is taking on an entirely new challenge—dancing on national television. As a contestant on ‘Let’s Dance’, he faces a unique disadvantage: he has severe vision impairment. However, Engel refuses to let this hold him back and is determined to compete without any preferential treatment.
“I Don’t Want to Be Treated Differently”
Engel values being judged fairly, as he shared with RTL: “I don’t want to be treated differently because of my disability or given any special advantage.” His commitment to fairness was evident in the scoring of his rumba performance, where judge Jochen Llambi awarded him and his partner Patricija Ionel just one point.
While the score was disappointing, Engel took it in stride, telling Stern TV:
“Mr. Llambi was right. I’m an athlete, and I can handle situations like this when things don’t go well. But of course, that one point was frustrating because I couldn’t show what I was truly capable of.”
Overcoming More Than One Obstacle
Beyond his vision impairment, Engel also lost hearing in his right ear after a middle ear infection in 2023. Despite these challenges, he remains focused on improving, with his dance partner Patricija pushing him hard in training.
The one-point rumba is now in the past, and Engel is determined to prove himself. In a behind-the-scenes Instagram video, he shared his exhaustion from intense rehearsals: “I tore everything up today.” Now, fans eagerly await to see if his dedication will pay off in the next round.
source:https://de.nachrichten.yahoo.com/
