Paralympian feels like ‘Superwoman’ when she competes

The first female Emirati athlete to participate in the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008 believes that even life-changing obstacles cannot limit a person’s dreams.

Thuraya Al Zaabi won gold medals in the javelin and shot put at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China after spending years in rehabilitation. Delores Johnson / The National

DUBAI // Thuraya Al Zaabi feels like Superwoman whenever she throws a discus, hurls a shot put or launches a javelin.

The first female Emirati athlete to participate in the Paralympic Games, at Beijing in 2008, believes that even life-changing obstacles cannot limit dreams.

“When you see another’s problem then your problem becomes easy. Sport makes me feel like Superwoman,” says Ms Al Zaabi, who played basketball, volleyball and cycled before a stroke at the age of 29 paralysed the left half of her body.

It took seven months before she could start speaking again and a year to regain her sense of balance.

“It was a dark life, I didn’t believe I could move,” Ms Al Zaabi says. “I could not speak so I wrote on paper. I could not sit and needed a belt to protect me from falling.

“But I didn’t stop my life, because my heart didn’t stop believing – my heart wanted to continue sports.”

Years of rehabilitation and exercise led to gold medals in the javelin and shot put in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Now in her 40s, the country’s most experienced female athlete has her sights on Olympic Games in Brazil next year.

“I’m ready to do my best for the UAE in Brazil,” says Ms Al Zaabi, who works out daily at the Al Thiqah Club for the Handicapped in Sharjah while securely strapped into a chair, in accordance with Paralympics rules, during training.

She requires a walking stick and wheelchair to get around but restricted mobility over the past 15 years has not dented her spirit.

“Laughter – it is my antibiotic,” says the mother of four. “I don’t like to stay on the bed or chair, I always try to walk with my stick.”

The club’s athletes train two hours daily and double that before competitions. During Ramadan, they work out after iftar until 11pm.

Seeing medals won by special-needs athletes during a physiotherapy session inspired Ms Al Zaabi to train for the Paralympics.

“I told the coach, ‘Excuse me, I need you to put me with them. I need to win medals,” she says.

She had the backing of the Sharjah club, the UAE Disabled Sports Federation and her family, who are her most passionate supporters.

“When I get medals my children collect newspapers, magazines and tell people, ‘My mother is a champion’.”

Kaltham Al Matrooshi, vice chairman of the club’s ladies section, says Ms Al Zaabi motivates others.

“When you are disabled you have to show you are strong and Thuraya has faced her challenges,” Mr Al Matrooshi says. “Thuraya is also a nice person and very good with other ladies.

“She is a mother so to leave her children to train abroad and go for competitions is not easy. She is a great woman, a famous athlete.”

The Paralympian’s advice to disabled athletes is simply to work hard.

“Before I didn’t think of colours in the world and of being happy,” she says. “But now if you could go into my heart, you would clap your hands because when I throw, inside I’m shouting loudly ‘Yes, I can do this’.”