Abbas Karimi

Started: He began swimming at age 14, having previously been involved in kickboxing from age 12. (paralympic.org, 12 May 2021; khaama.com, 07 Apr 2019; Athlete, 03 Dec 2017) Reason: His brother built a 25-metre pool for the community near their home in Kabul, Afghanistan, which encouraged him to start swimming. "I was so afraid but that's how I started. I asked the lifeguard, 'Do you think I can learn how to swim?' He said, 'Of course you can. There are people in the world who don't have arms and legs and who swim'. So I put on a life jacket and didn't drown. That day gave me a lot of hope. Day by day I found it more interesting and I learnt to swim. I've loved water since I was a child. Sometimes my friends and I were not even going to school, we were going to the river and jumping in with our clothes on, not so deep, and when we got out the warm sun would dry our clothes. That's the reason I became a swimmer, because I was interested so much in the water." (spyscape.com, 09 Apr 2022; paralympic.org, 27 Nov 2019) Ambition: To win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games. (myswimpro.com, 16 Mar 2023) Awards: He was a flag bearer for the Refugee Paralympic Team at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (joysauce.com, 11 Oct 2023) Additional Info: FROM AFGHANISTAN TO THE UNITED STATES He was born in Afghanistan but at age 16 he left the country without his family to escape conflict and pursue his dream of becoming an elite athlete. He first flew to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and then crossed the border into Turkiye. He spent four years there and it was during this period that he was contacted by Mike Ives, a former wrestling coach who had started helping refugee athletes. Ives told Karimi he would support him if he wanted to move to the United States of America. In 2016 he settled in Portland, OR, United States of America, and competed at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo as part of the Refugee Paralympic Team. He received US citizenship in 2022. "I was a refugee in Turkiye, I didn't have any passport to fly with. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] helped me to explain my case and then the USA accepted me as a refugee. When I finally got there, I said this is another opportunity, a second chance." (myswimpro.com, 16 Mar 2023; paralympic.org, 12 May 2021, 27 Nov 2019) UN AMBASSADOR He has served as a High Profile Supporter for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]. "Being part of the United Nations, it's an honour for me because the United Nations has done so much for me. Being a refugee, that life taught me so much. It gave me a lot of things so it's time for me to give something back to the refugees and the refugee communities. I just want to give something back to the refugee world so I can open doors for them so they can compete at my level. My message to the displaced people around the world is to not give up on themselves. Never be hopeless. Be always hopeful, set goals and achieve them no matter where you are or what situation you're in. Never quit on yourself and never quit on your dreams and goals." (paralympic.org, 20 Jun 2022)