Swimming Against the Current with Paralympian Abbas Karimi

OVIDcast

In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny is joined by Abbas Karimi, a renowned Paralympic swimmer and World Para Swimming Championships Gold medallist. Having been born without arms, Abbas's resilience, drive and determination have led him to become a formidable competitor in the swimming world. Abbas shares his incredible life journey from his early struggles to his current pursuit of a Paralympic medal. He discusses how he has harnessed adversity to fuel his success and how his faith and positivity have become his guiding forces. The conversation also delves into his post-swimming goals, his approach to handling life's unpredictability, and how he inspires others to embrace their unique challenges.

(1:04) Introduction
(5:16) Representation and Responsibility
(9:29) Overcoming Failure and Staying Motivated
(14:48) How does Abbas relax?
(20:12) Looking to the future

About the guest:
Abbas Karimi was born in Afghanistan with no arms and he left Afghanistan when he was 16 years old and travelled through Iran and into Turkey, where he lived in a refugee camp. It was here that Abbas was picked out as a promising swimmer. From there, Abbas became an elite athlete and won a number of medals during his elite swimming career, including a silver medal at the world championships in Mexico and also travelling to Tokyo as part of the Paralympic team.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn