Ziyad Zolkefli did it with style, a Malaysian '2016 Rio Paralympic' gold medalist, broke the world record again. This time in London. Yesterday he hurled a greater distance - 17.29 meter. We are all having a good time this weekend, but clearly, Ziyad is having a blast!
He has been competing in the so-called "learning/intellectual disability" category known as F20. Ziyad has put down his disability for good on the world stage. Yes, the world watched how able and capable people with disabilities (PWD) are.
Of course, many Malaysians, I suspect, have shed tears of joy at the news/watching Ziyad's victory video. I was proud of him, of course, when I first heard the news through our Prime Minister's Twitter. But when I read Ziyad's own Tweet a few hours before the shot put finals - I cried. I have never had a "high" motivated, inspiring moment as I did when I saw Ziyad's tweet.
"A few hours to go before the show.
Focus - done.
Mental - done.
Winning mentality - done.
Bismillah..."
If you were to put me - someone with "intellectual ability" on the world stage, I would chicken out. I wouldn't be able to calm my nerves. I wouldn't be able to focus. Shame on me.
Those of you who have the tendency to look down on PWDs, please stop putting them down, yeah, not even in your sound IQ mind.
1300 athletes from 100 countries are competing for 202 medals at the World Para Athletics Championship in London 14 May - 23 July 2017 [The Gold medal looks stunning! Ziyad has earned it.] |
May this story inspire you as it has inspired me. We all have some kind of disability. Let's put it down for good.
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