Strength – defined not by a physical capacity but an indomitable will!
He took a deep breath and held it, only to fling himself into the water. Splash! The cold water touched his face, and memories of the past came flooding in. Drowning in the cheers above the surface, he swam hard, reminding himself of the carefree dives of his childhood, the struggles, his fights, and ultimately, his goal—to reach the finish line and win, no matter what. Each time he reaches the finish line and emerges from the water’s embrace, he is a different man. A better and stronger one.
Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh was born in a small village called Rathaus, in Bihar. He came from a family having a strong background in sports, so he was keen on wrestling. His village, sharing borders with Nepal, was often flooded. Hence swimming came naturally to the children there. They had to learn to swim to survive. For attaining formal education, he was sent to Mumbai at the age of 6. Though his primary goal was to get quality education, being inspired by the stories of his Grandfather’s wrestling achievements, he dreamt of being a champion himself. To move closer towards achieving them, he started learning the Shito Ryu style of Karate under the guidance of Sensai Umesh Murkar.
After years of rigorous practice along with his studies and job, he managed to get a black belt in 2008 and won 50+ medals in state, national and international championships. In 2010, he won a silver medal in Asian Games trial that took place in India. He felt like his dream to make India proud in the Asian Games was an inch closer. But just then, his life changed. He was diagnosed with an unexpected spinal tumour that left him paralyzed below chest level. The thought of neither being able to walk nor control his body, was unbearable.
However that didn’t stop him from making a mark as a champion world wide. Despite being labelled as 100℅ disabled, he knew his body’s capabilities and pushed boundaries. He learned swimming to initially help regenerate his nervous system that later turned into his passion.
Slowly and steadily, his body embraced the water, gained back its balance and let go of the floaters. He regained confidence and knew his life changed again, this time for the good. From then on, there was no stopping him.
He started practicing and at first got a chance to participate in Maharashtra State Paralympic Swimming Championship where he won a silver and bronze in free style and back stroke. This allowed him to participate in national championship and now is a national record holder in his category. He is an International gold medalist in Para Swimming and holds the world record in Longest Open Sea Swimming by a paraplegic person. In addition to this, he is also featured in the Limca Book of World Records. He has represented India in Asian Para Games Jakarta Indonesia 2018.
Gifted with an attitude to deal with problems and obstacles head-on, he is now preparing for his next challenges—the 2021 Summer Paralympics in Japan and the 2022 Asian Para Games. Being a living inspiration to many, he continues to fight for inclusivity and accessibility for persons with disabilities. As a Secretary General of the Para Sports Association Mumbai, he aims to improve sports at the grassroots levels. He tells, “Imagine, I can swim in the Arabian Sea, but while stepping out of the house, I have to think twice. Despite the certificates, I don’t think I am disabled. I have an impairment, not a disability. It’s the society’s attitude that is limited, not me or my body,” he concludes, with a lingering question for all of us.
He strives to break all the stereotypes attached to the disabled, by setting a mark of his own. Thank you Shams sir for sharing your story with us and reminding us that all hurdles can be overcome if one has a strong will power to do so!
Wrtten By- Diksha Kaveriappa
Edited By – Team Shams Aalam
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