About the campaign
We are proud to be the Official Healthcare Partner for the National Paralympics Associations in Australia, Spain, Poland, Chile, Mexico, and the UK. Health is paramount to Paralympic performance. And at Bupa, we understand that health is not one-dimensional. It’s unique and individual. It means something different to each of us.
We have partnered with world-renowned photographer, Annie Leibovitz, to capture a series of dynamic photos that showcase the health stories of six Para athletes and Paralympians.
These original and inspirational images are just the beginning. We’re inviting the whole world to share their Picture of Health and be part of our online gallery.
Capturing your story, uploading your photo, and showing us what health means to you can help spark conversations, challenge stereotypes and encourage us all to reflect on our view of health.
Ultimately, creating a healthier and happier world for everyone.
Meet the team
Curtis McGrath
“My Picture of Health is... independence. Being happy, fit and doing the things I want to do when I can. And that to me means a lot”.
Australian Para Canoeist and former soldier, Curtis McGrath lost both of his legs following a mine blast in Afghanistan. Less than two years later, he broke a world record time and won the 200m VL2 world title in Moscow, Russia. He has since taken home 10 Gold medals, and one silver, including consecutive Golds at Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020.
Mariana Zúñiga
“My Picture of health is… self-belief. For me to be healthy, I need to be in a mental and physical state which allows me to develop and grow as a person. This means I can be at my best in both life and my sport – and be confident”.
Mariana Zúñiga is a Paralympic Archer who was born with Myelomeningocele, a form of spina bifida. She was the very first Chilean archer to participate in the Paralympic Games, an achievement celebrated by her country, and then the entire continent, when she brought home a silver medal and became the first archer from the Americas to win in the compound open women’s category.
Sara Andrés Barrio
“My Picture of Health is... tranquillity. Health makes me feel calm, happy and gives me desire to live more fully”.
Double below-the-knee amputee, Sara Andrés, won her first medal at the World Para Athletics Championships just six years after her car accident in 2011. Today Sara competes in long jump, relay, and sprint events – specialising in 100m - and has published her own children’s book 'Sabes quién soy?' which translates to 'Do you know who I am?' and follows the adventures of five characters with different hobbies and impairments.
Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker
“My Picture of Health is... energy – both mentally and physically”.
Emmanuel was born with a rare condition called phocomelia, which means he is missing the forearm of his left arm. After winning Gold at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai, he went on to win the men’s 100m final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He is passionate about supporting and encouraging young people facing inequalities, including those with disabilities.
Richard Whitehead MBE
"My Picture of Health is... determination. My greatest achievement was accepting my disability… not as a negative, as an opportunity to show people that anything is possible.”
The first double through-knee congenital amputee to run the length of the UK, Richard Whitehead MBE ran 40 marathons in 40 days during a charity expedition. Two 200m Gold medals later, he founded the Richard Whitehead Foundation to create social change and use the power of sport for the benefit of disabled people. In April 2024, he set a new world record in the London Marathon for athletes with bilateral knee amputations.
Róża Kozakowska
“My Picture of Health is... the strength to overcome difficulties that seemed impossible at first. In my case, impossible doesn’t exist”.
Róża Kozakowska is a shot put and club throw athlete from Poland. After a tick bite attacked her nervous system, she developed articular and cerebral neuroborreliosis, a condition which impacts her coordination. She not only won Gold in Tokyo in 2020, but she also set a new world record and was named Poland’s 2021 Disabled Athlete of the Year.