TOKYO: Born with a paralyzed arm and left homeless by Japan’s 2011 tsunami, schoolgirl skier Yurika Abe has overcome severe hardships to compete at the Sochi Paralympics—and she carries the hopes of her fellow disaster victims with her.

The 18-year-old’s move to the big stage comes just three winters after she took up cross-country skiing, clutching a single pole in her right hand.

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