15 of the most heartwarming moments from the Rio Paralympics
American blind sprinter David Brown won gold with his longtime guide runner, Jerome Avery.
Bradley Snyder — a Navy veteran who lost his sight while serving in Afghanistan — won four medals in Rio.
Snyder has become a star Paralympic swimmer in the five short years since an improvised explosive device robbed him of his vision.
(Here's why Snyder and other visually impaired athletes were shaking their medals on the podium.)
Canadian wheelchair basketball players Adam Lancia and Jamey Jewells shared a loving embrace.
Neither team ended up on the podium, but this couple's kiss deserves a medal in our book.
Source: Rio 2016
Kadeena Cox, who has multiple sclerosis, had the most adorable reactions on the podium.
In Rio, she won two golds in two different sports (track and cycling), breaking two world records in the process. No big deal.
Source: Rio 2016; the Guardian
Egypt's Ibrahim Hamadtou competed as the only table tennis athlete with no arms.
Hamadtou didn't win a medal at the games, but he has become a YouTube sensation for his unique ability to play by holding the paddle in his mouth. Watch him in action here.
Source: Slate
Mikey Brannigan became the first American runner with autism to win a gold medal in the 1,500-meter race.
Brannigan's parents have said that running absolutely transformed their son's life.
Source: NBC News
Five-time Paralympic wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden picked up six new medals, bringing her career total to a staggering 17.
She was also one of two recipients of the the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, given to athletes who best exemplify the spirit of the Paralympics.
Source: NBC Sports; Rio 2016
The Iranian sitting volleyball team dedicated their gold medal to a fallen teammate.
Iranian Paralympic cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad died after a crash during a race on Saturday. In the wake of the tragedy, the country's sitting volleyball team dedicated their first-place finish to his memory.
Source: The Guardian
The US men's wheelchair basketball team was overjoyed to end its 28-year gold medal drought.
Source: Team USA
Czech archer David Drahoninsky won silver — and proposed to his girlfriend in front of the whole crowd. (She said yes!)
Source: Rio 2016
Iran's Behzad Zadaliasghari expertly maneuvered past opponents to score an incredible goal in blind soccer.
Wheelchair tennis partners Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett embraced after competing against each other in the singles' tournament.
The men won the gold and silver medals that day, respectively.
Source: Rio 2016
Brazil's Daniel Dias broke into tears when became the most decorated Paralympic swimmer of all time.
Dias left Rio with 24 career Paralympic medals. Watch out, Michael Phelps.
Source: Rio 2016
Italy's Alessandro Zanardi won silver on the 15th anniversary of the car crash that made him lose his legs.
Deepa Malik snagged silver in shot put, becoming the first Indian woman to ever win a Paralympic medal.
"This is huge," she told Rio 2016 after the event. "I give it to my daughters. I give it to my husband, my trainer, my country. I am so excited."
Source: Rio 2016
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