Meet 3 Arab Athletes with Disabilities

Many Arab athletes  succeeded, even with all of the odds stacked against them, to acheive their dreams. 

Some of them were born with  birth defects that resulted in losing limbs or malformations.

For this reason, they are constantly the focus of curiosity seekers and are totally marginalized in society.

Here are some of the most inspiring stories of physically disabled Arab athletes who became well-known figures and manged acheive success in their life.

Mohamed Lahna

As Moroccan runner Mohamed Lahna steps onto the track for a race, no one can avoid looking at his right leg. It's not the usual athletic's leg, with strong, tight muscles.

His right leg is shiny and shaped like letter J.

Instead of muscles, he has an artificial leg made of special materials. With this leg, Lahna is becoming one of the fastest runners on earth. Lahna is the winner of bronze medal paralympics of triathlon and champion of many competitions for disabled athletes, but he also wants to compete against able-bodied athletes. Including him in races against able-bodied runners is controversial.

When Lahna was born in 1982, he had no right leg. He has had an artificial leg since childhood, but this never stopped him from doing many different sports.

Lahna began competing as runner in 2004.

Each year, his artificial leg was lighter and better, and each year, he was able to run faster and faster. 

Mohamed Gaballah

Mohamed Mahamed Gaballah, 28, is a special swimming and handball champion who participated in many international Paralympic Games, one of the greatest sport events in the world in which 177 countries, including Egypt, participate. He won two gold medals, a bronze medal in swimming and another bronze in handball. 

Gaballaha started his career as a swimmer when he was eight. His trainer and family discovered his passion for swimming and started to train him. There were some barriers like arrogant people who mocked and bullied him, but this only made him more determined to prove that he exists and can win competitions.

Dina Galal

Dina Galal, 49, a special shot put champion, was born to a family that challenged social backwardness by sending her to a special school. Just because she lived with Down syndrome didn't mean that she would be deprived of an education.

Her family worked very hard to prepare her to face society without feeling fear or shame.

" I used to feel confused and didn't know what my mission in life was until I heard about the Special Olympics. My mother encouraged me so I decided to join a special organization to help me start my career. I started to train. I first participated in the 1993 Lebanon Olympics." Then she took part in several other Special Olympics in Arab countries as well as the US Special Olympics, winning several bronze and silver medals.

Ultimately, these champions and many others like them announced to the world that they exist through sports that carry all the meanings of life as well as the noblest messages of peace, tolerance, equality and cooperation.