Five years ago, tragedy struck 29-year-old Eslam Abuali’s life in the form of a devastating car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. After spending a year in the hospital – rehabilitating and learning how to continue his life as normally as possible – Abuali made it his mission not to let this tragic setback prevent him from achieving the most in his professional career while overcoming major physical challenges.
Since his accident in 2012, Abuali took up swimming as a means of recuperating and soon became a champion in that arena. He has won the national gold medal in Para Swimming for the past five years and established a national Para Swimming team with the help of President Mr. Adly Mansour and the Minster of Youth & Sports Mr. Khaled Abdel Aziz in 2015. That same year Abuali won two bronze medals in Madrid. He followed up the success of this new team by representing Egypt at The International Swimming Championship in Berlin this year, winning the silver medal and qualifying for the World Championship, which takes place in Mexico this month.
A champion with a cause, nothing is stopping Abuali from reaching higher goals and fighting for the rights of other physically challenged Egyptian athletes. This year, he became the first Egyptian parathlete to compete in IronMan, Portugal. Abuali will also compete in the Cross Fit training competition Elfit this year, after convincing the organization to establish a category for physically challenged individuals.
In addition to his booming athletic career, Abuali was chosen by the US embassy to represent Egypt in one of the biggest cultural exchange programs in the US in 2016. He has also been working with the Alhassan Foundation since 2012, advocating for Differently Abled Inclusion. The British Council & Alhassan foundation nominated Abuali to represent Egypt in the Unlimited Festival for Disability in London last year. An accomplished motivational speaker, Abuali has travelled to the US and the UK delivering inspiration to a global audience at events like the International Visitors Leadership Program and the Unlimited Festival.
Join us in keeping an eye on this rising Egyptian star, and cheer him on to achieve bigger and brighter things in his future!
