Sfaltos competed in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Summer Games in swimming and last summer, he ranked fourth in the men's 100-meter breaststroke event during the World Para Swimming Championships in Portugal.

After a car accident in 2009 that changed his life, Sfaltos said sports helped him to get out of the house and to feel like a valuable member of society again. Sports also helped him to show that people from disability groups have much to offer, he said.

Sponsors play a vital role in a country like Greece, which has gone through an acute debt crisis in recent years. Resources are limited and donations from private companies make a big difference, according to athletes.