Ibrahim Al Hussein

Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Facebook profile, 04 Nov 2023) Awards: He received the 2016 Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award from the United States Sports Academy. The honour is given to the athlete showing courage and dedication to their sport in the face of incredible odds. (aroundtherings.com, 03 Jul 2017) He was presented with the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The honour is presented to the athlete who has performed at an outstanding level and overcome adversity. (swimmingworldmagazine.com, 15 Sep 2016) He was flag bearer for the Independent Paralympic Athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (myinfo.rio2016.com, 07 Sep 2016) He carried the Olympic torch through a refugee camp in Athens, Greece, during the torch relay ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (reuters.com, 26 Apr 2016) Additional Info: MOVE TO GREECE He grew up in the Syrian Arab Republic with 13 siblings. In 2014 he fled the war in his birth country, travelling first to Turkiye before settling in Greece, where he was granted asylum. "It was very difficult in the beginning in Greece because I didn't speak the language and I had nobody but eventually I found a doctor in Athens who helped me. He is like a brother to me. I'm happy in Greece. I even learned to speak Greek because I love the country and the people so much." (paralympic.org, 19 May 2021, 22 Jan 2020; reuters.com, 26 Apr 2016; tracks.unhcr.org, 22 Apr 2016)

Sporting Relatives: His father has coached swimming and judo in the Syrian Arab Republic. (myinfo.rio2016.com, 07 Sep 2016)