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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Sanny and Samantha. Welcome to Stuff One

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Speaker 1: Never Told You production of I Heard You.

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Speaker 2: We have now officially ended our time with all of

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Speaker 2: the fun competitions with both the Summer Olympics of twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty four as well as the Paralympics of twenty twenty four,

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Speaker 2: the Summer edition that is. And though we did talk

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Speaker 2: a little bit about it before. Of course we're going

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Speaker 2: to come back with a wrap up, but today we

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Speaker 2: wanted to celebrate what's been happening with the Paralympics. Uh,

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Speaker 2: with a Paralympics medalist, first perfect minist around the world,

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Speaker 2: because I have you know, that's what we do. Yes,

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Speaker 2: it did just wrap up. It went by really fast,

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Speaker 2: just so y'all know I've had really stressful time and

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Speaker 2: time doesn't exist. But anyway, before we jump into the

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Speaker 2: actual winnings of Paralympics, refugee team member Zakia could have Yes,

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Speaker 2: we want to take a look at her competitive journey.

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Speaker 2: So we featured the refugee team before for the Olympics

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Speaker 2: a while ago, but we wanted to take some time

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Speaker 2: about the refugee team for the Paralympics and the Refugee

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Speaker 2: Paralympic team, also known as RPT, is made up of

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Speaker 2: eight athletes and one guided runner, making it the largest

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Speaker 2: RPT to date, and Kudadadi was the only woman on

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Speaker 2: the Refugee Paralympic team. She actually competed on August the thirtieth,

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty four and became the first from that team

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Speaker 2: to medal at the Paralympics. But her road has been

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Speaker 2: quite a difficult one in getting to this point. So

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Speaker 2: Zakiya born in Afghanistan, has been training throughout her life

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Speaker 2: in taekwondo and she has talked about how her fellow

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Speaker 2: countryman Rahula Nikba was an inspiration for her and Nikba

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Speaker 2: was known as the first Afghania Olympic medalist and yet

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Speaker 2: it was for Taia Gando as well, and with that,

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Speaker 2: Zakia has been making history throughout her life as she's

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Speaker 2: continued to train in para taekwondo. So Zakia trained in

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Speaker 2: areas that were occupied by the Taliban, so she would

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Speaker 2: often just be in her own house or own backyard,

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Speaker 2: but eventually she was able to compete in the twenty

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Speaker 2: sixteen African International Paara Taekwondo Championship in Egypt, where she

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Speaker 2: won gold and soon after. She was able to participate

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Speaker 2: in the twenty twenty Summer Paralympics, but getting to the

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Speaker 2: Paralympics was a feat. It was during her time training

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Speaker 2: in Couple that the Teliban gained power again and she

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Speaker 2: was unable to leave for the competition due to the

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Speaker 2: airports being closed. She and other athletes went into hiding,

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Speaker 2: but made a plea to get to the Paralympics. Here's

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Speaker 2: what ESPN wrote. Speaking in Farsi and translated by Ruters,

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Speaker 2: she said she felt an additional burden to her relatives

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Speaker 2: who did not have enough food to feed their own children.

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Speaker 2: I request from you all that I am an Afghan

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Speaker 2: woman and as a representa of Afghan women, ask for

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Speaker 2: you to help me, she said. My intention is to

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Speaker 2: participate in the Tokyo twenty twenty Paralympics. Please hold my

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Speaker 2: hand and help me. I urge you all, from the

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Speaker 2: women around the globe, institutions for the Protection of Women,

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Speaker 2: from all government organizations to not let the rights of

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Speaker 2: a female citizen of Afghanistan in the Paralympic movement to

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Speaker 2: be taken away so easily. The fact that we ourselves

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Speaker 2: have lifted ourselves from this situation, that we have achieved

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Speaker 2: so much it cannot be taken lightly. I have suffered

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Speaker 2: a lot. I don't want my struggle to be in

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Speaker 2: vain and without any results. Help me.

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Speaker 1: And here's a bit more context from Forbes dot com quote.

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Speaker 1: Since the Taliban takeover in August twenty twenty one, women

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Speaker 1: and girls have been banned from playing sports, are participating

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Speaker 1: in any form of physical activity. Former female athletes, who

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Speaker 1: are well known throughout the country and their communities face

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Speaker 1: persecution and severe punishments. Because of this persecution, they were

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Speaker 1: forced to flee their country are also directly affected. While

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Speaker 1: some of these women and girls were able to flee

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Speaker 1: the country, female athletes still in Afghanistan are living in

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Speaker 1: hiding and in constant fear. Without women able to meaningfully

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Speaker 1: join and engage in all aspects of their lives, including sports,

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Speaker 1: they will remain second class citizens. However, Afghan women have

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Speaker 1: been defying the Taliban and competed at the twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: four Olympics and twenty twenty four Paralympic while flying the

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Speaker 1: flag of the refugee Olympic and Paralympic teams. Among them

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Speaker 1: is Zakiya Kudadadi. Zakia belongs to the Hazara ethnic group

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Speaker 1: in Afghanistan, a numeric minority group in the country which

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Speaker 1: is subjected to discrimination and persecution at the hands of

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Speaker 1: the Taliban and isk After the Taliban takeover in August

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, France helped Sakiya to escape Afghanistan and

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Speaker 1: participate in the Tokyo Games. Zakia was at particular risk

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Speaker 1: in Afghanistan as a female athlete and as a member

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Speaker 1: of Hazara community. After taking over power in Afghanistan, the

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Speaker 1: Taliban banned women from participating in sports. Also, as the

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Speaker 1: Taliban was taking over Afghanistan in August twenty twenty one,

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Speaker 1: a tax against Thehissar community increased significantly. Bizarre places of worship,

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Speaker 1: schools and other predominantly Haissar places were being attacked again

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Speaker 1: and again, sending waves of fear across the communities.

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Speaker 2: Right, and obviously there's a lot going on. There's been

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Speaker 2: some new articles coming out about Afghanistan and the women

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Speaker 2: there and some of the worst restrictions coming up again

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Speaker 2: after years of trying to fight for their right. So

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Speaker 2: we'll be addressing that, I'm sure upcoming. But going on

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Speaker 2: with Zakiya and her plea was heard. She was airlifted

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Speaker 2: from Kabul to Paris by the Australian Air Force with

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Speaker 2: fellow athlete Hassan Rasuli and was able to compete at

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Speaker 2: the twenty twenty Tokyo Paralympics. After arriving in Paris, Thekiya

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Speaker 2: was able to start training there with coach Habi Niare

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Speaker 2: and she told Paralymics dot Org coach Hubby is really, really,

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Speaker 2: really kind, and she pushes me every day. She tells me, Zakia,

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Speaker 2: you are a champion. Every day. I feel that positive energy.

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Speaker 2: I'm happy together, she said, she is amazing and a

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Speaker 2: role model. I'm happy because I'm a refugee. I'm not French.

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Speaker 2: She is French and her heart is very big. Refugee

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Speaker 2: or French. She's been so good to me. I continue

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Speaker 2: pay attakwondo because I love the sport and I win

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Speaker 2: for the women of Afghanistan and for the refugee people.

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Speaker 1: And after competing in twenty twenty one, Zakiya has been

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Speaker 1: training in Rotterdam. Here's some more from Paralympics dot Com

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Speaker 1: about her time there. Quote she admits it's not easy

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Speaker 1: being a refugee and thinking about leaving her home country

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Speaker 1: still breaks her heart. I left my country, my home,

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Speaker 1: my club, my everything. It was a difficult day for

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Speaker 1: me and to speak about Tokyo, I cry because my

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Speaker 1: heart is in pain. But I didn't stop after Tokyo.

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Speaker 1: I am strong for everything, for sport, for women of Afghanistan,

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Speaker 1: for refugee people. While she associates her time I'm at

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Speaker 1: Tokyo twenty twenty with tears and sadness, she said that

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Speaker 1: roder Dam is a place that made her happy. Now

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Speaker 1: she wants to find more happiness in Paris, the host

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Speaker 1: of next year's Paralympic Games, as she competes there at

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Speaker 1: the Grand Prix in September. Now, I've really progressed in

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Speaker 1: the French language and I'm in contact with more people.

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Speaker 1: The French team is a good team and I'm happy,

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Speaker 1: she said. I'm ready. I'm ready for my competitions.

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Speaker 2: And yeah, she's definitely shown that she was ready. With

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Speaker 2: being the first person from the RPD to win a

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Speaker 2: medal at the Paralympics, Zakia has made sure to put

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Speaker 2: their team on the map on the podium my guests.

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Speaker 2: Zakiya competed and won the bronze medal in August, beating

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Speaker 2: Turkey's athlete. NBC News wrote this about her win. When

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Speaker 2: the final buzzer sounded at the Grand Palais in central Paris,

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Speaker 2: Kuda Dotti erupted in joy, throwing her helmet and mouthpiece

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Speaker 2: into the air. It was a surreal moment. My heart

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Speaker 2: started racing when I realized I've won the bronze, Kuda

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Speaker 2: Dotti said, her voice shaking with him. I went through

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Speaker 2: so much to get here. This medal is for all

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Speaker 2: the women of Afghanistan and all the refugees of the world.

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Speaker 2: I hope that one day there'll be peace in my country.

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Speaker 1: And they continue. The atmosphere in the Grand Palais was

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Speaker 1: electric as the French crowd cheered her on as if

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Speaker 1: she were one of their own. Since fleeing Afghanistan, Kuda

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Speaker 1: Dottie has been trained at INCEPT, France's National Institute in

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Speaker 1: Sport in Paris, with her French coach, Habi Niari, a

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Speaker 1: former Taekwondo world champion. Zakia has been magical. I don't

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Speaker 1: know how else to put it, Niari said, beaming with pride.

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Speaker 1: The training process has been challenging. She faced a lot

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Speaker 1: of injuries and she had to learn a lot in

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Speaker 1: a couple of years, but she never lost sight of

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Speaker 1: her goal for the refugee Paralympic team. It's super special,

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Speaker 1: it's super important, Parson said. Sakia just showed to the

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Speaker 1: world how good she is. It's an incredible journey. It's

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Speaker 1: something that we should all learn about.

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Speaker 2: Yes, and obviously congratulations to her and all of the

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Speaker 2: winner and participants of the Paralympics. I'm sure we will

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Speaker 2: be hearing more about her and the RBT and we'll

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Speaker 2: be back again to talk about the Paralympics soon. Yes.

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Speaker 1: Yes, but as always, listeners, if you have any thoughts

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Speaker 1: about who we should highlight what we should highlight, please

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Speaker 1: please please let us know. You can email us at Stuffmedia,

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Speaker 1: mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find us

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Speaker 1: on Twitter at mom Stuff Podcast, or on Instagram and

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Speaker 1: TikTok at Stuff I've Never Told You. We're also on

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Speaker 1: Tea Public. We have a YouTube page as well, and

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Speaker 1: a book you can get wherever you get your books.

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Speaker 1: Thanks as always to our super producer Christina, executive producer Maya,

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Speaker 1: and our cotruder Joey. Thank you and thanks to you

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Speaker 1: for listening Stuff I'll Never Told You. The production of

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