David Lega
{{Short description|Swedish Paralympian and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = David Lega
| image = David Lega in Jan 2014.jpg
| caption = David Lega in January 2014
|office = Member of the European Parliament
|term_start = 2 July 2019
|term_end =16 July 2024
|constituency = Sweden
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|12 October 1973}}
| birth_place = Gothenburg, Sweden
| occupation = Deputy Mayor of Gothenburg
| known_for= Paralympic swimming, public speaking
}}
Michael David Alexander Lega (born 12 October 1973) is a Swedish politician for the Christian Democrats, and a former paralympic swimmer who beat 14 world records during his career. He was a Member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2024,[https://data.val.se/val/ep2019/slutresultat/E/rike/personroster.html Final results from European Parliament elections in Sweden] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921064223/https://data.val.se/val/ep2019/slutresultat/E/rike/personroster.html |date=2019-09-21 }} Read 2019-05-31 (in Swedish) and served on the committee on foreign affairs and the committee of human rights.
Early life and career
Lega was born with the congenital disease arthrogryposis.{{cite news |last=Lindén Ivarsson |first=Anna-Lena |title=David Lega gör kläder för alla kroppar |url=https://www.dn.se/arkiv/sondag/david-lega-gor-klader-for-alla-kroppar/ |work=Dagens Nyheter |date=27 January 2008 |access-date=3 May 2021}} He became a paralympic swimmer, competing in the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000, and the IPC Swimming World Championships in 1994 and 1998. He won three gold medals in the 1998 IPC Championships.{{cite web |title=David Lega, Sweden |url=https://www.paralympic.org/david-lega |website=Official Website of the Paralympic Movement |access-date=3 May 2021}}
Lega retired as a swimmer after the 2000 Paralympic Games and became a public speaker and entrepreneur. He owns companies within personal development, computer technology, and a fashion brand called Lega Wear. He released the book HANDS FREE - David Lega's Inspiring Journey in 2008. In 2005, he was named one of the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
He has been on the executive boards of the Swedish Sports Confederation and UNICEF Sweden.{{when|date=May 2021}} He won the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award in 1996.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
Political career
In January 2011, Lega was elected chairman of the executive committee of Gothenburg. In January 2012 he became the second vice chairman of the executive board for the Christian Democratic Party in Sweden.
Lega has been a Member of the European Parliament since the 2019 elections, serving on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and its Subcommittee on Human Rights. In addition to his committee assignments, he is part of the European Parliament Intergroup on Disability.[http://edf-feph.org/members-disability-intergroup-epp Members of the Disability Intergroup - EPP] European Disability Forum.
In late 2023, Lega announced that he would not stand in the 2024 European Parliament election.[https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/sara-skyttedal-blir-kds-forstanamn-till-europaparlamentet Skyttedal blir KD:s förstanamn till EU-parlamentsvalet: ”Tacksam”] Sveriges Radio, 13 October 2023.
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20081007090024/http://www.davidlega.com/
- http://www.jci.cc/news/en/5491/Sweden's-David-Lega-Selected-as-a-TOYP-Honoree
- http://www.legawear.com
{{Current EP Sweden}}
{{EP Political Group EPP}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lega, David}}
Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
Category:World record holders in paralympic swimming
Category:Paralympic swimmers for Sweden
Category:Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Paralympics
Category:Christian Democrats (Sweden) MEPs
Category:MEPs for Sweden 2019–2024
Category:Swedish people of Jewish descent
Category:Politicians with disabilities
Category:Swedish wheelchair users