The Extraordinary Life Story of Paralympic National Athlete Yigit Caner Aydin
Everyone you meet and everyone who enters your life affects you to some extent. Their experiences, tragedies, and life stories change how you look at life and make you question it. Some life stories affect you much more than others. As you know, there are people whose lives can be the subject of movies. They go through such difficulties and obstacles that most people give up and cannot continue. They never stop and continue on their way. I liken these people who overcome these obstacles and achieve success despite everything to Turkiye. Our country was reborn from its ashes by winning a magnificent victory in the most difficult and hopeless time of its history. The story I will tell you today is a war against life and difficulties, just like the war Turkiye won.
Yiğit Caner Aydın is a national archery athlete representing our country in the World and European championships and the Olympics. We had the chance to meet our European and World Champion para archer in Miami, where he came for his undergraduate education. Yes, I say chance. Like everyone who met and listened to his story, it affected my view of life. His life story could be the subject of movies that greatly affected me. I had a conversation with Yiğit Caner Aydın, whose life changed as it was with an accident he had at a young age and who, as he says, strives to be a person that people will be inspired by, not pity, and has managed to be a good example to many people. I listened to how he overcame the difficulties from his mouth and wrote for you.
The symbols on his wheelchair made within the scope of the Wheel Color project are like a summary of his life. Symbols such as X, Y, and Z represent computer coding, rounds represent planets, the number 23 represents the date of the accident and 23 staples in the neck, and the round archery target board represents his sport.
Canan Sezgin: Hello Yiğit Welcome to Miami. Can you briefly tell us about yourself? What changed on the day of the accident that affected your life and afterward?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I was born in Trabzon in 1992. My family moved to Istanbul when I was three years old. I started to study at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Astronomy and Space Science in 2010. I also started developing the web projects to earn a living. The accident that affected my life happened on May 23, 2013. I had gone to visit a friend. We were studying together; it was a windy day. In the garden of the university, while I was sitting on the ground with my computer on my lap and my feet stretched out, a table used as a stand fell on me. Unfortunately, it hit my cervical vertebrae. I didn’t even feel pain at that moment, I didn’t feel anything, I was always conscious before the surgery. Since it is an injury at the neck level, it can cause breathing problems. Since I also had edema, breathing came to a standstill. Doctors even told my family about a twenty percent chance of survival before the operation. The fact that I was conscious prevented me from getting bigger damage.
Moving a finger even a little bit can make a huge difference. Being conscious of many things at the time of that accident shaped my life. I was in intensive care for six days. First of all, I had to win that fight for life. During those six days, I questioned many things while looking at the ceiling. I can say my awareness increased. I asked myself only one question. After this incident, will you inspire people with what you have done and achieved, or will people look at you with pity and be thankful for what they have? I thought about it and I chose the first way, that is, to fight, and we started physical therapies even during that intensive care period. The monotony in my life was over and great challenges awaited me. I never rebelled, I thought it was a mission for me. As the days pass, one expects a sign, a movement. I couldn’t use my hands, I had lost all my body functions from the chest down, so I tried to handle everything mentally. I thought that even if it took months and years, I would eventually regain my health as before. I was talking to the nurses there and they were telling me that a patient who had a more severe accident than me had walked out. This gave me hope. Everyone’s condition in spinal cord injuries can be different. The healing process varies depending on how much impact it has suffered or whether there is edema or not. In my case, the spinal cord was hollowed out with the blow I received. The nerves inside were damaged. There is no complete loss of signal but most of the nerves are dead. Maybe I was going to be very good, maybe I was never going to recover. I was praying, “God, give me a sign to continue.” One day, while waiting at the elevator door, I was able to move one finger of my left hand. I showed it to my family and they were very happy. It was very nice to see that something could come back. My hands partially came back. These developments also surprised my doctors. Because at first, four people were lifting me out of bed. I couldn’t even sit upright in a wheelchair, I had blood pressure problems. I was dizzy when I got up because I was lying down all the time. I realized that if I made myself stronger, my quality of life would improve. I realized that it would not be possible to come back, so I chose to strengthen what I had. There comes a moment when you start looking for a method for everything. the way you wear clothes and put on your shoes or the way you shower, to go to the toilet, to eat, everything changes. You relearn everything.
Canan Sezgin: It’s like resetting and relearning what you learned in those first 21 years, isn’t it?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: Yes, when I was a child, there was a towel in the bathroom that I couldn’t reach. I used to pray that I would grow taller so I could reach it. Then I grew taller and I was able to take the towel comfortably. I felt the same thing when I got into a wheelchair. I had difficulty reaching out again. It was like I was living my childhood again. I was getting help from my family for everything. I couldn’t even eat on my own. I thought I would always be like that. You are like a patient and you need support. There was an eight-month hospitalization. I started archery in 2015 but I still couldn’t do much, my breaking point was in 2016-2017. I had a lot of support, but I started to be independent in many things.
Canan Sezgin: Archery changed your life. How did you start this sport?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: My father met Naci Yenier, a national archer, at the place where he worked and told me about him, then I went to visit him at his club, I was incredibly impressed, I said This is my sport, and the day we first met and talked, I set myself the goal of playing in the Paralympic Games. Naci, who also uses a wheelchair, gave me the bow. “Be careful not to drop it,” he said. I had a lot of difficulty in my first attempt. I started to work every day to hit that target from a distance of 50 meters. Financially, it was very difficult to go to and from the training club every day, so I started working in the parking lot of our house. I bought a second-hand bow, arrows, and materials, I had no money left for a target board. I made a wooden target from a sofa cushion. My mother helped me while I trained 5-6 hours a day. She worked with me every day. She collected my arrows. In 2017, I was invited to the national team development camp. I was selected for the national team. I went to China to represent my country. When we became champions as a team, it gave me great pride when our national anthem was played. Before the European Championships, I had a major illness and my right lung collapsed. I was being treated with a tube and I was telling the doctors “Get me ready for the championship.” I recovered after 2 weeks and went to the European Championships without being able to train, but I still came in fifth place.
Canan Sezgin: What are the most difficult areas in your sport?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: Archery in a wheelchair is very difficult. I can’t stand without a support on my back, you carry weight and calculate millimeters. While doing all this, you have to hold that bow without shaking it. My fingers are still not very controlled and I still have difficulties with that. It’s been nine years since I started archery and I still sometimes face unexpected difficulties. 2022 was the best year of my career. Sometimes there is improvement and sometimes there is regression. I am one of the athletes whose fingers do not work well compared to my competitors. Athletes competing in my category need to have balance problems. There is a separate category only for wheelchair users. In my category, balance and fingers are problematic. I compete in a class called Category 1. In this category, there are athletes like me who have had cervical palsy. I train at least 3-4 hours a day, at least 5 days a week, and 6 days during the camp. Sleep and nutrition must also be good
Canan Sezgin: How did you feel when you achieved worldwide success and what are your next goals?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: My worldwide success came very early. I came fourth in the world in the first competition. As a group, we became champions with two world records. I have been shooting arrows in the final field since my first competition. I improved myself very quickly, but my goal was to achieve individual success. I won my first individual championship in 2019 at the European Cup. There are tournaments in between, but the important thing for us is the championships and Paralympic Games. In 2022, I ranked first in the world in Dubai. In 2024, I won the right to participate in the Paralympics in Paris. My ranking was good in Paris, I could have won, but I got sick and had health problems. That’s why I didn’t get a medal, but I didn’t give up, I hope I will get a Paralympic medal in Los Angeles in 2028. It’s not just about winning, I also learned a lot on the journey there. I made historical records by winning the European and World Championships. Next is to win the Paralympic medal, which is the only thing missing in my career. You can compete in archery from 7 to 70 years old, even older than that There is no age limit. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have very good eyesight. After a while, it turns into muscle memory.
Canan Sezgin: Does the excitement affect you mentally?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: Even though I am cool-headed, there is tension during the competition, but this gives me motivation in a positive way. Normally I am not a very focused person. I try to do many things at the same time. Before the accident, I was working on computer software and I had difficulty focusing on one thing. But Archery helped me to focus.
Canan Sezgin: Did you play any sport before the accident?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I was playing basketball and soccer as a hobby with my friends but I wasn’t playing competitive sports.
Canan Sezgin: What can be done to further develop archery, our ancestral sport? What would you suggest to the new young people in this regard?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: There is a big investment in archery in Turkey. There are great successes. Both in the Olympic team and in the Paralympics, good ranks are achieved. I am in the Archers Foundation. It makes a great contribution to me. Our camp environment and preparation for competitions are much better than other countries.
We work professionally during the preparation process. We get material and moral rewards for our work. I talk to my American archer friends; they don’t have camps. They pay their expenses when they go to competitions. They have no prize income when they win. They compete as amateurs. Their advantage over us is that they have easier access to materials. Since the government supports us, when we win medals, we have a good income financially. When you are a Paralympic athlete, material costs are higher because the wheelchair is also involved. Archery is a very expensive sport because it requires equipment from binoculars to arrows and bows. I have special armbands made by a shoemaker.
Canan Sezgin: What are the difficulties you experience in Turkey as a disabled person? What differences have you witnessed during your time in the United States? What can be done to make life easier for those living in Turkey with the same practices?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I was very comfortable in America. Most places were accessible. The flatness of Florida was a great advantage. There was no place I couldn’t go on my own. There were great facilities for the disabled. When I was in Istanbul, I was very tired of the fact that some places were not accessible even though there was an opportunity. The state needs to take more measures in this regard. unfortunately, there are problems in practice.
There should be more regulations for disabled people in public transportation. Lately, disabled ramps and elevators started to be built in the newly built apartment buildings. When you make the place suitable for the disabled, everyone can use it. If they put a ramp that will turn two turns instead of a staircase, other people can use it too. In America, both planning and supervision are done. Sanctions were imposed to give a license. Even if there is no ramp entrance from the front, there is an entrance for the disabled at the back. I went to Versace’s house in Miami, which is now used as a restaurant. When I saw the stairs in front, I thought I probably couldn’t enter, but they had built a ramp in the back where wheelchairs could enter. During the time I was in America, I wondered if there was any place I couldn’t enter. I realized that everywhere the smallest details were considered for the disabled. When I return, I want to transfer these examples. I want to develop some projects that can be implemented in Turkey so that our disabled people can adapt to life outside more easily without any problems.
Canan Sezgin: Actually, my awareness increased while traveling with you.
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I believe that the more people I can share this with, the more useful it will be. People do not realize these situations and difficulties until they experience them. If these measures are not taken, people cannot go out. The agenda is very busy, so society becomes desensitized after a while. For this reason, disabled people living in Turkey are confined to their homes and cannot mix with society. I was able to move around very freely in the U.S. I only had problems with Uber drivers there, some of whom canceled me as soon as they saw the wheelchair or helped me by complaining. Since my wheelchair is motorized, I was able to go most places on my own without needing anyone, I traveled 1000 km in 2.5 months.
Canan Sezgin: When you came to America, the airlines told you that you cannot fly alone, how did you feel and how did you solve this problem?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: This was a rule set by the USA. They said that I might have problems alone because it was a long flight and they didn’t want to let me on the plane. They didn’t give me any information beforehand and when I went to the airport, they told me that I couldn’t board without an escort. Fortunately, the airline staff found one of the passengers to accompany me and helped me board the plane. I didn’t need any help during the flight. There are clinic teams at every airport in the world. I can even go to the gate of the plane alone. There I hand over my wheelchair and my motor. I am transferred to my seat on the plane with a special aisle chair.
Canan Sezgin: After the accident, you changed your plans and studied sports management, do you plan to work in this field or become an archery teacher in the future?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I think I will be a sports manager in the future, I have already studied in this field. I think not only nationally but also globally. When I came to America, I went to NBA games, I watched hockey matches, I love sports. I am very interested in the organization part.
Canan Sezgin: You have a sports brand of your own. Can you tell us about YCA, which consists of the initials of your name?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I always had a dream of branding my name. I had the logo made and I plan to have products made soon. In the future, I want people to recognize me as a YCA and know my motto thanks to this recognition. I can’t spare much time right now because I am focused on my sports career and I am also trying to improve my English. I want to represent our country not only on the field but also by speaking. I think all athletes who wear the national uniform should know the foreign language. Americans give more interviews using their language, I give interviews in English as well as Turkish and I want it to be better.
Canan Sezgin: It is admirable that you can do many things on your own, you can even drive a car in Turkey. What would you recommend to people in your situation?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I had a normal driver’s license before the accident. 1.5 years after the accident, I got a special disabled driver’s license. Six years later, I entered the commission again, got a report, and updated my driver’s license. There are special codes on my license now. The car also needs special additions to the steering area. For example, there should be a knob on the steering wheel. I need an automatic transmission. The car is my freedom, whatever I have in my life has been thanks to it. My family didn’t want me to have a car at first, I struggled a lot, but six months after I got out of the hospital, I bought my first car. I got my freedom. I already live alone. I try to do everything alone.
Canan Sezgin: You continue to inspire with your mottos such as zero is greater than one, if you are strong you will be inspired, you also shoot inspirational short movies about your life. Can you talk a little bit about this subject?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I use my mottos mostly on social media or during interviews. They are needed to convey the story more powerfully. They are my motivation for myself and other people. It connects me to a purpose. İ Show my life with films on Social Media. Now it is easier with my new camera glasses. I also write on my blog and planning to write a book.
Canan Sezgin: You said that you like to achieve firsts. One of them is being Turkey’s first sports announcer who uses a wheelchair. What would you like to say about the program where you also presented the news of the medal you won?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: It was a special moment not only in my life but also in the history of the country and sports. I presented the news of the medal I won myself. I presented a premier league program on a sports channel for about 1.5 years. It was very nice to make announcements on television with my athlete identity.
Canan Sezgin: You are active in virtual media and have the chance to reach many people. You also have a special aura that affects people in the environments you enter. You impress people with your conversation and your good language skills. You say that you want to improve your foreign language and reach more people in English. What are your future projects for your story to inspire more people?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: I want to improve my foreign language to reach more people globally. It’s not just about being an athlete, it’s about discovering your talents and getting to know yourself. I discovered that I have a talent for sports and went for it. My advice to young people is to go for whatever you feel talented and successful in. This can be sports, art, or business. People believe more in what they see with their eyes, that’s why I actively use social media. I try to show it to people. I enjoy it a lot, I spend a lot of time. I get good comments. These are motivation for me, but the biggest communication is not with my post that I am the world champion, but in Miami Beach. It was really interesting to receive it with my photo taken on the streets where the GTA game takes place. People even recognized me with that photo at a party given by the Consulate.
The staff of an American archery club, recognizing your name in the order you placed, wrote a message inside the box of archery equipment you ordered: “We were so excited to see your name, good shooting, and good luck”. Since you also broke world records, you have become a person known to most people who practice archery.
Canan Sezgin: You made many Turkish and foreign friends in Miami. What are your impressions?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: Yes, I spoke more Turkish than I expected. I made new Turkish friends. They were all very helpful and nice. They never made me feel that I was alone and far away from my family. I made foreign friends at the language school. I had my hair cut by a Peruvian barber who told me that I was the first Turk he had ever met. I was welcomed with interest and love everywhere I went. I gave a speech at the Florida Turkish Association. It was nice for people to recognize a Turkish athlete and learn my story.
Canan Sezgin: Finally, is there a question that you want to be asked yourself but you are never asked? Can you ask it to yourself and answer it?
Yiğit Caner Aydın: In general, I try to explain everything I want to say without waiting for questions, I already give the answers and say what I want to say.
Canan Sezgin: Thank you very much for this interview. I wish you to achieve all your dreams, especially the Olympic medal in the future.
Yiğit continues to inspire people with his story, but the difficulties in his life are not over yet. After this interview, He went back to İstanbul. Unfortunately, they forgot to pick him up at the gate. it was very difficult for him to go to passport control and customs by himself because the officials did not bring his motor and no one came to pick him up, and he had a very difficult time because he needed help to carry his belongings. I hope the regulations that will make life easier for the disabled in Turkey will be introduced as soon as possible.
You can follow Turkish national para archer Yiğit Caner Aydın on his webpage, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. You can travel the world with him as he shares his daily life and sports achievements. This young man, whose inspiring life is interesting enough to be the subject of a movie and full of determination, has many more things he plans to do and is doing his best to do them all.
If you are not doing something you can do, you are disabled.” He continues to do what he sets his mind to and inspires others. We wish him success and happiness on this path.
Canan Sezgin
Social media Accounts: Yigit Caner Aydin – Official Website
Instagram: yigitcaner
Facebook and YouTube: Yiğit Caner Aydın
