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An Emirati Sprinter Is One Of The World’s Most Successful Special Olympics Athletes
Take a bow Hamda Al Hosani!
The 29-year-old sprinter took home the gold meal in the 100 metre race at the Special Olympics IX MENA Games 2018.
The hugely successful sportswoman has taken home 17 international medals in total and his victories this week make her one of the world’s most successful Special Olympics athletes.
This follows a second place medal in the 200m race already this week. She’s also facing a 4x100m meter relay race on Tuesday, at the Abu Dhabi event which is hosting 1,000 athletes from 32 countries.
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She trains two hours a day with the support of her mother who is always by her side, and who Hamda credits for helping her discover her talent. She hopes the Games change the negative perception of intellectual disabilities.
What an incredible achievement!
“I’d like to encourage everyone with intellectual disabilities (ID) to look out for what they’re interested in and to do more activities that boost their confidence. I have a friend who played on the basketball team and I encouraged her to join the sprinting team.
In the Middle East people look at ID as a bad thing but I want to change that negative perception.”
Hamda Al Hosani
Hamda’s mother Zaafaran also had some encouraging words for any parents of children with ID
“My message to every parent with a kid with ID is to take part in Special Olympics. There’s usually parents’ meetings and get togethers where I notice a few parents. Kids with ID really need their parents’ support in order to succeed,”
Zaafaran Al Hosani
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