Sporting spirit

Mohammad Khamis Khalaf, gold medallist at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games and presently working with the typing division

When I was two, I was stricken by polio. It was difficult for my family to accept this. But that is what life had in store for me, so I learnt to accept my condition and do the best I could with my life.

As a child I was pampered a lot by my parents and siblings [I have three elder sisters and two younger brothers] and was not too keen on studies. I would spend most of my time playing with friends.

In fact, I dropped out of school before I reached high school, which I now realise was a big mistake. However, I cannot undo my past so I may as well make the most of the present while I plan for the future.

Due to my sporting nature ...

... my desire to join the Dubai Club for Special Sports (DCSS) did not come as a surprise to my family. They were quite comfortable with the idea, for them my happiness was prime, as always.

In 1991, I became a member of the DCSS and would participate in various sporting events such as shot put and discus, athletics and powerlifting. I was not intending to take it up as a career; I did it just for the fun of it and it was a good method of relaxation.

But in 1996, when Titoo Qassim [who is my coach now] joined the club, he encouraged me to zero in on powerlifting because he recognised my potential in that sport.

I began to take powerlifting seriously and Qassim began to supervise my exercise regime and became my diet adviser. I have to maintain my weight at 82.5 kg because that is the category under which I compete.

When I am preparing for a competition, we step up the intake of proteins and fibre and I increase the weights I lift. Otherwise, off season, my coach encourages me to pump the routine weights and take it easy.

My coach is my mentor and my guide, and I can discuss anything with him, whether it relates to training or personal issues. As we work harder and harder, it becomes more important for me to excel and live up to his expectations.

At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games ...

... 4,000 athletes, representing 144 countries, competed in 19 sporting disciplines. For the first time in the history of the Games, athletes were not asked to pay any participation fee.

I had been competing with a keen eye on winning in these games for the past eight years. My determination grew when I came fourth in the 2000 [Paralympic] Games in Sydney, Australia. I was confident, so was the club, which is why they sponsored my trip.

The Games were scheduled for September but we travelled earlier since we had to train at a special Paralympic camp for a month before the Games. While I was training in Athens, my wife gave birth to a baby girl. It was the most beautiful gift that God could give me.

I wanted to see her, touch her and hold her close to my heart but I could not. My sisters and other family members wanted to send me her photos but I declined the offer because I wanted to see her face to face, even if it meant waiting for days.

As the days passed by, I grew more and more impatient, the tension of the big Games also began to grow. Now, I was determined to win the medal for my baby, I wanted it to be my gift to her.

My event was scheduled for September 26, exactly a month after our baby was born. I tried the best I could that day and scored 217.5 points, which earned me the gold medal. I cannot explain the joy I felt.

After that I just wanted to rush back home and be with the family.

I am blessed to have ...
... a ‘doll' as beautiful as Shouq. Her name means "to remember strongly"and it is very appropriate too because each time I look at the medal, I am reminded of how I longed to lay my eyes on her.

It reminds me of how hard I worked and how I felt when I held the medal in my hands. The road from the airport to home never seemed so long, I remember the first time I held her,
it was magical. I did not know whether to smile or cry. She was so tiny, so frail,
I was afraid my hands would hurt her.

For two whole days I did not leave the side of her cot. I wanted to watch her in every mood – as she slept, smiled and even as she cried. She is about 11 months old now. Soon she will learn to walk. I am waiting eagerly for that day.

There is a lot left to achieve in life ...
... but somewhere in my heart I want to slow down and be with my family. When I returned home after my victory, there was a void in my mind because I could not be with my wife and child when they needed me the most.

I was not the first person to hold my child. There will be many moments like this, which I do not want to miss. I want to work closer to home so I can always be there for my family.
I am juggling time between my family, work and training for the two major forthcoming events – the 2006 15th Asian Games to be held in Qatar, Doha, and the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.

Presently I work at the typing division for Al Maktoum Hospital, along with other people with special needs.

This employment programme is unique because people who are physically challenged are trained and given placement in apt areas to work and become part of the team just like everyone else.