|
 He was 11 years old when he stepped on the mines as he
gathered firewood in a vacant lot in Kabul, a city still trying
to recover from years of civil war.
"When I lost my legs ... I was in a terrible condition because I
didn’t know about my future and I was feeling very bad,"
Mohammad, now 24, told Reuters as he rested after swim practice
on a recent morning in Kabul.
Faced with an uncertain future in a country where many war
victims face lifetimes of suffering, Mohammad's life changed
when a U.S. government official arranged for him to receive
treatment, physical therapy, and education in the United States.
It was there that Mohammad first learned to swim, and put him on
a track to what he hopes will eventually be sporting glory at
the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.
"I hope to be selected there to represent my country, because
the amputee community are looking at me," Mohammad said.
His dreams of competing in the Olympics have been dashed before,
when he failed to make the cut for the summer games in London in
2012.
He hopes that a good showing in the World Para Swimming
Championships in Mexico City in September will help him get
close to his dream.
Nothing in Afghanistan is easy, however.
Mohammad says his application to the Mexico games has been
delayed by conflicting details on his identification papers, a
common problem in Afghanistan where many people, including
Mohammad, don't know their exact birth date and other
information.
The team members hope to follow 18-year-old Abbas Karimi, who
recently qualified for Mexico while living and training in the
United States.
The lack of resources for a world-class training programme makes
it difficult for the members of the Afghan paralympic swimming
team who don't have access to international facilities and
support.
Three members of the team, all with amputations from war wounds,
train in small public pools with little government support.
They are coached by Mohammad Jawad, a veteran javelin thrower,
who volunteers his time to help.
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"Malek is a talented person and he has already competed in
international competitions, but this time if he does his best
efforts, God willing, I am sure he can achieve great things for his
country at the Olympic Games as well," said Jawad.
COMFORT IN SWIMMING
Like many Afghans, Mohammad has been caught in the increasing global
tensions as fighting sends hundreds and thousands fleeing.
His prosthetic legs have begun to wear after eight years, and a
clinic in the United States has offered to provide treatment.
Mohammad's application for an American visa was denied last year,
however, with the State Department saying he had not proved that he
would willingly return to Afghanistan.
He is working to reapply for a visa, but with several high-profile
cases of Afghans using visas to seek asylum in the West, it is not
clear that he will be able to get the treatment he needs. No
matter what happens, Mohammad says the pool has become a comforting
place, because in the water it does not matter that he lost his
legs.
"Winning or losing the game is not important for me because this is
a pride for me that despite losing my legs I can swim and feel
myself relaxed in the water," he said.
He has become a minor celebrity in Afghanistan and internationally,
proudly mentioning the time he met former U.S. president George H.W.
Bush.
Mohammad and his family still express surprise at how his
potentially life-ending injury changed his life.
"I was hopeless and crying," said his mother, Bibi Sabza Gul.
"Imagine when you see your son lose two legs and covered with
blood."
Now those horrible memories have faded, she said.
"I'm really happy seeing my son improving day by day in his career.
He is helping his sisters and brothers and encouraging them in
sports so I am not concerned about him anymore."
(Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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