by Ragia Nada, Special Olympics Middle East/North Africa; this profile originally appeared in Spirit magazine
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MeshaalJassem Al-Badr loves diving. He began practicing sports as a means of entertainment, but soon became a dedicated and serious athlete. [Photos courtesy Special Olympics Kuwait] |
For Meshaal Jassem Al-Badr's parents, the world collapsed the day he was born. Like parents anywhere on earth, these Kuwaiti parents worried incessantly about how their child with an intellectual disability would fit into a world so often cruel and merciless to those who are different. That worry and desperation overshadowed the possibility that Meshaal could be happy and accomplished in his own right.
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Al-Badr has achieved a remarkable level of success and recognition in Kuwait. |
In an offhanded attempt to create a diversion for Meshaal, they introduced him to sports. He was instantly captivated and began practicing regularly, and when he joined Special Olympics, Meshaal excelled in gymnastics and aquatics. With an unquenchable appetite for sports and a newfound sense of confidence, he began to venture into mainstream sport activities and found one that he enjoyed immensely: scuba diving.
Meshaal became the first person with an intellectual disability in the region to qualify as a professional diver and receive an international scuba diving certificate and license.
Not only were his parents pleasantly surprised and extremely proud, others in the country noticed how capable Meshaal was. Because of people like Meshaal, a nation is changing its attitudes about what people with intellectual disabilities can accomplish, and there is a new and growing tolerance and respect.
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