'There is no disability': Emirati Paralympic cyclist says determination is key

Ahmed Al Badwawi has his eyes on more glory after the Paris Paralympics 2024

UAE cyclist Ahmed Al Badwawi is making his debut at the Paralympics Games in Paris. Photo: Mohammed Al Murawwi

UAE cyclist Ahmed Al Badwawi says the power and stamina gained from training for a competitive sport have made him believe he can do anything.

The Emirati athlete is making his debut at the Paralympic Games in Paris and he aims to train consistently to keep his spot among the world's best.

Al Badwawi, 26, lost his right arm in a 2018 car accident and took up cycling a year later, urged on by a friend. The Dubai athlete is among 220 cyclists competing in 51 events at the Games.

“I say to people there is no disability,” Al Badwawi tells The National. “You need to focus on a sport and keep competing, and you will surely develop. I’m proud to compete in the Games, proud to represent my country.”

Al Badwawi was one of the UAE’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Games as part of a 13-strong team.

He is the second cyclist from the UAE to participate in the Paralympic Games after Ahmad Al Mansoori, who competed in Tokyo in 2020.

Al Badwawi will compete in two races this week, on September 4 and September 6, in Clichy-sous-Bois, a Paris suburb.

Bike and rider as one

His bicycle looks like a typical racing bike but all the gears have been shifted to the left to allow him to manoeuvre easily as his right arm ends above the elbow.

In Paralympic cycling, athletes use standard bicycles, tricycles and tandems adapted to suit their needs. Competitions vary according to the abilities of the athlete.

UAE national team coach Mohammed Al Murawwi says the sport has helped Al Badwawi break past any limitations the accident imposed.

“The car accident happened when he was in the second year of military school but he took on cycling and never allowed the accident to stop his dreams,” Al Murawwi says.

Training routines are formatted to give Al Badwawi the confidence to take on other athletes.

“The bike and rider should move as one unit, as one person, that is always our aim,” the coach says. “The challenge is that he has a right-hand disability and competitors from other nations have both hands.

“Controlling the bike on the corners when he turns or goes downhill will be easier for other competitors. He has to be focused on both his balance and speed – we train so he can deal with this.”

Al Badwawi, who has devoted his recent life to qualifying for the Paralympics, won a bronze medal in the Asian Road Para-cycling championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in June.

Al Murawwi says the pressure in the Paralympics is high as athletes must maintain their top performance through the four-year period.

“The cyclist must have commitment and belief in himself,” he says. “We have training [while] the clubs and national committees give the athlete all the support they need.

“But it's all a question of what the rider feels himself, so it needs to be a connection between the equipment, support and the passion of the rider – Ahmed has all of it."

Power of sport

The coach’s plan is for Al Badwawi to view the Paris Paralympics as a path towards bigger and better things.

“This is his first time at this level, at the Olympics,” Al Murawwi says.

“Our target is to be in a good position and to take this experience on to the next Games.”

Al Badwawi said cycling competitively has changed his approach to life, helping him to focus on what he can achieve and teaching him to keep to a schedule.

“Before the accident, I was all work, work,” he says. “Now, I work hard for an Olympic medal. But many things have changed in my life – I set aside time and respect that time.

“When I feel any stress or pressure, cycling helps it reduce and even disappear. I want to make paracycling a popular sport in the UAE. When people watch me, I want to help them understand what the sport can give them.”