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The multi-champion Paralympian Omara Durand Elías received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in Sports Sciences on Sunday at the Teatro de la Universidad de Oriente, in Santiago de Cuba, in a ceremony that recognized her outstanding sports career and her efforts in favor of the inclusion of people with disabilities.
Durand Elías, visibly moved during the event, expressed gratitude to each of the coaches who contributed to her development as an athlete throughout her career.
"The academic recognition I received today deepens my human and professional commitment to individuals with disabilities in the national and international Paralympic movement," stated the athlete from Santiago, as reported by the Cuban News Agency.
The athlete also highlighted her current role at the forefront of the Cuban Paralympic movement: “I serve as the president of the Cuban Paralympic Committee, and I already have the mission, along with my team, to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities into society through sports, which is a powerful educational tool,” the source stated.
In a moment of profound emotion, Durand dedicated words to his hometown: "To my Santiago de Cuba, thank you for watching me grow and always welcoming me with open arms."
Diana Sedal, rector of the University of Oriente, presided over the ceremony and emphasized the significance of the recognition for the institution, which has been celebrating the "Mambises" Inter-Faculty Games as part of its sports tradition and holistic education for over 55 years. According to Sedal, Omara gifted "all the possible happiness" to her homeland; "she is one of those athletes who not only wins medals but also wins the heart of a people," she expressed.
The Rector concluded her speech with a phrase that encapsulated the spirit of the ceremony: “Thank you, Durand, for teaching that the extraordinary is not seeing the finish line, but daring to run towards it with your heart and your homeland as a shield.”
The achievements of Durand, acknowledged during the ceremony, include 11 gold medals in the Paralympic Games, 14 in World Para Athletics Championships, and 12 in the Parapan American Games, along with notable participations in Grand Prix and other international events.
Among his individual distinctions is the recognition as the best athlete in disabled sports in Cuba in 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023, as well as ranking seventh among the 50 best sports moments in 2015 according to the International Paralympic Committee, the media outlet added.
Born on November 26, 1991, in Santiago de Cuba, Durand competes in the T12 category, which corresponds to athletes with profound visual impairment. She made her debut at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games without winning a medal, but since London 2012, she has achieved consecutive editions with historic results, including a triple crown at Rio 2016 where she set the world record in the 100 meters with a time of 11.40 seconds.
In Paris 2024, she concluded her active career with her tenth and eleventh Paralympic titles, and shortly after announced her retirement from competitive sports, expressing her desire to study, spend time with her family, and embark on new projects.
In 2024, President Miguel Díaz-Canel awarded the through Presidential Decree No. 936, and in July 2025 she gave birth to her second daughter, Liz Allison Vicet Durand, at the Ramón González Coro Hospital in Havana.
The Honorary Doctorate in Sports Science adds to a series of national and international recognitions that establish Omara Durand as the most successful Paralympic athlete in the history of Cuba and one of the most dominant visually impaired sprinters in the world.
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