Asiya Mohamed is a Kenyan paralympic athlete who lost both her legs and three fingers in a train accident at the age of two years.
On the same day of the accident, her father died from a shock-induced stroke. By the age of eight, she was a disabled orphan.
The Paralympian through her social media platform described her life since the accident and how she has come to adapt to life.
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She disclosed that her walking journey started at a late age as she used a wheelchair for fifteen years.
Currently using prostheses Asiya disclosed that she had to wait for a long to use them due to two major factors.
“I have been in very many challenging situations but not like this walking journey. The walking journey itself is more of a mental than a physical challenge.
“Why is it so challenging for me, I have been using a wheelchair for more than fifteen years. It’s because my family had no knowledge of how persons with disabilities are handled,” Asiya's post read.
Asiya disclosed that every step she made became a celebratory achievement not only for her but also for her family and friends.
She went on to describe her walking journey as more of a mental challenge than a physical one.
Recalling her time as a disabled child Asiya noted that it was a first-time experience for people around her.
“They would carry me around until the day when I joined the school and was given a wheelchair.
“As a kid, I was very excited and motivated with my new wheels and I became a perfectionist in wheeling the wheelchair.,’ Asiya recalled.
Asiya also added that before she acquired the prostheses people around her used to refer to her as a half-woman but currently refer to her as a cyborg or terminator, both Hollywood characters.
She went on to advise other disabled persons in society who are afraid of taking the step of using prostheses at an adult age urging them to take up the risk.
However her struggle has not stopped her from making major strides as she is a multiple gold medal wheelchair marathon winner, a member of the Kenya wheelchair tennis team, and the first Kenyan to qualify for the Olympics and Paralympics in rowing.
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