Without taboos: Sex and disability | Antonis Tsapatakis & Eleni Thoidou | TEDxUniversityofMacedonia

In a bold and groundbreaking talk, a Paralympic athlete and his close friend, a teacher and co-author, come together to challenge societal taboos and shed light on the often overlooked intersection of disability and sexuality. With courage and candor, they invite us to confront our preconceptions and biases, and to embrace a more inclusive and accepting understanding of human diversity. With their friendship evident in the warmth of their words, they set the tone for a dialogue that is as enlightening as it is empowering. With the Paralympic athlete's experiences as a backdrop, they delve into the complexities of navigating intimacy and relationships as individuals with disabilities, shining a light on the unique challenges they face and the misconceptions that often surround their experiences.
Born in Chania, Crete in 1988. He started swimming at the age of five. At the same time, at the age of 10, he took up water polo, where he won the junior and youth championships. At 18 he had a motorcycle accident outside the swimming pool resulting in paralysis of his lower limbs.
For physiotherapy reasons he took up swimming again where he realised he still had the charisma of a champion. The event in which he excelled was the 100m breaststroke with many European and world titles. He is now also the author, together with Elena Thoidou, of the children's books "The Dream" and "Tony and Mr. Fear". Finally, she participates in activities concerning empathy and the relationship with oneself.

Eleni Thoidou was born in Drama and grew up in Thessaloniki. From an early age she was involved in swimming where she managed to distinguish herself with many titles, while in her free time she loved to write poems and stories. She studied at the Department of Physical Education & Sports of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and continued with the educational program "Autism: symptoms and treatment" of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Her love for children is the reason why she continues to work with them to this day because, as she says: Children are my inspiration. "The Dream" is her first fairy tale that she wrote together with paralympian Antonis Tsapatakis in 2016. The two books will become a theatrical performance in October 2023. Fairy tales are a path with messages, let's walk it with our children. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx