Egyptian swimming star Zeyad Kahil is aiming to win a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, which start on August 28.
Kahil, who also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Games, will take part in both the 200m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke in Paris.
At last year's Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester, he made it to the final of both the men’s 200m freestyle S5 and 100m breaststroke SB4, setting African records in both events.
His favourite event is 200m freestyle but he says he is more likely to succeed at 100m breaststroke.
“I’ve been adding seconds in the last three championships but it’s [200m freestyle] still my favourite. It won’t stop me although I guess the 100m breaststroke is the one that will bring me some success,” Kahil said in an interview with Paralympic.org.
Kahil draws inspiration from what was a hugely successful season last year. There was the World Championships in Manchester, a World Series finale in Cairo – the first African city to host the competition – and a first open-water experience in Italy.
“Manchester 2023 was another milestone, placing eighth for my first time in both the 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle. I used to be placed in the reserve section and now I qualified straight to the finals,” said Kahil.
“Sardinia was one of a kind, my first Para swimming open water championship. It just needed a different nutrition plan to load your body with power.”
“We are always keen to compete as many times as possible throughout the year to get used to standing on the blocks,” he said.
Kahil is following a rigorous training regime as he prepares for the Games.
“I’m on a daily training programme: six days of swimming with the national team. Three of those days include private fitness sessions after my swimming to enhance my stroke,” Kahil said.
“Then there are my recovery sessions once or twice a month to get rid of all the heavy load.”
Kahil takes part in a daily open swimming camp with other para swimmers from Egypt. Then, he says, he “gets back to his normal life”.
He has recently graduated in business management and has interviews to fit in around his swimming schedule.
“Most professional athletes consider their sport as a job, doing what they love. I believe I have a lot more to discover so I decided to go through the professional business life and fetch more experience beside my athletic life but just try my best to maintain both,” Kahil said.
“Swimming depends on mind training so most probably every swimmer has a stable, typical day. It just varies from what additional activities every athlete needs for his own unique body.”
The 23-year-old swimmer, who was born with a spinal cord condition, credits his parents for helping him achieve success in the sport.
“I never perceived [disability] as an obstacle. My parents stitched in me how to be fully responsible for myself, which helped me a lot to commit to my sport and conquer it all the way.
“Even if I missed exciting stuff in my childhood due to my impairment, at the same time it wouldn’t have made me feel I want to overcome this missing feeling and do sports as compensation.”
Kahil is working with the Egyptian national team coach Amr Abouldahab.
“I usually have confidence in my coach preparing the daily programme. I just give myself an inner subconscious order that as long as I have a lane every day and a monitor, then I have a huge chance to get better,” Kahil added.
“And I can’t just wait for external motivation to push me forward. Success is all about hard work, perseverance, and dedication, which is basically a decision a person makes to reach anything.”
Kahil thanks childhood coach Hassan Baioumi for spotting his talent and helping him win his first bronze national medal. Then came coach Waleed Gamal, who taught the swimming basics and speed tricks that made him break the minimum qualification standard and join the Egyptian para swimming national team.
Coaches Shereef Habib and Ayman Elgendy focused on very tiny details that made him not only qualify for his first World Cup but also for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
“Since there are many different aspects of swimming and additional activities required to develop myself, I always do a side plan for myself as it’s part of my to-do commitments,” Kahil said.
“I can’t stand still waiting for my team to do everything for my own benefit, sometimes you should sort it out. My fitness, my recovery, my mental coach.”
