Meet Todd Antony’s Subjects from Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, the beautiful game is proving to be a source of joy and empowerment for amputee footballers, writes Deborah Nicholls-Lee for UK journalism magazine, Positive News. “They’re just phenomenal athletes,” said New Zealand-born photographer Todd Antony, describing the amputee football players that he has photographed for his multi-award-winning project The Flying Stars of Sierra Leone.

The male and female footballers, who make up a total of five teams, all bear the marks of the brutality of Sierra Leone’s civil war (1991-2002). In a country where disabled people are highly marginalised, football is a reminder of the strength and agency of their bodies and a source of joy.

Antony hopes to return to Sierra Leone this month to continue work on a documentary he is making about the Flying Stars. “We never hear the good news stories out of Africa,” he said. “I want to contribute towards changing that.”

Original article by Deborah Nicholls-Lee, Positive News, February 4, 2022.

Photo by Todd Antony.