How a British Charity Ended Up Financing North Korea’s Only Paralympian

Regardless of which country an athlete competes for, training for the Paralympics takes effort and money.

North Korean swimmer Rim Ju-Song, for example, got financial help from the British charity Care For Children.

Care for Children usually works with Asian governments to develop their foster-care systems.

The organization had been doing that with the Chinese government, when it was approached by North Korea, looking for similar help.

Soon enough, Care for Children Executive Director Robert Glover and his team were en route to Pyongyang.

There he participated in unique “diplomatic” events involving table tennis, and was eventually asked to help athletes get into the Paralympics.