Shams Aalam: Para Swimming Champion ne likha itihaas, Ganga mein 13 km tak kiya record-breaking swim
Shams Aalam, jo Bihar ke Madhubani district ke Rathaus gaon ke rehne wale hain, ne ek baar phir itihaas racha hai. Paraplegia ke saath swim karte hue, unhone pichle Ravivaar National Takshila Open Water Swimming Competition ka 13 km ka tough course sirf 2 ghante mein poora kar liya. Ye competition, jo is saal apne 14th edition mein tha, Ganga ke Shiva Ghat Digha se Law College Ghat tak tha aur ise Bihar Swimming Association ne organize kiya, jo Swimming Federation of India se affiliated hai.
Iss mukable mein, jo male aur female participants ke saath disability inclusion ko bhi promote karta hai, lagbhag 50 swimmers ne hissa liya. Shams ke saath ek aur Para swimmer ne bhi competition complete kiya. Shams ne is pradarshan se World Records Union ke dwara “Longest Distance Swimming in Open Water by a Swimmer with Paraplegia” ka world record set kiya hai.
Shams ki sports journey kaafi inspiring rahi hai. Ek samay wo martial arts me black belt the, lekin 24 saal ki umar me ek serious medical condition aur failed surgery ke baad wo kamar ke neeche se apahij ho gaye. Is mushkil samay me, unke doctor aur aaspaas ke logo ne unhe swimming ke liye prerit kiya. 2012 tak, unhone ek state championship me silver aur bronze medal jeete. Tab se lekar ab tak, unka performance aur achievements consistently behtareen rahe hain.
Shams ne kai national aur international competitions me medal jeete hain, jinme 24th National Para-Swimming Championship (Goa) me ek gold, ek silver aur ek bronze medal shamil hain. 2016 me unhone German Swimming Championship me bhi apna dam dikhaya, jahan unhone apne category me top finish kiya. 2018 me, Asian Para Games me unhone India ko represent karte hue apna naam roshan kiya.
Sirf ek athlete nahi, Shams ek TEDx speaker aur disability rights advocate bhi hain. Unhone Para sports aur accessibility ke liye bahut kaam kiya hai. U.S. Department of State, Bharat ke Rashtrapati aur Bihar sarkar ne unhe unke efforts ke liye sammaanit kiya hai.
Shams CBM India ke Inclusive Sports Program ka ek hissa hain, jo ek not-for-profit organization hai aur disability inclusion ke liye kaam karta hai. Yeh program apne athletes ko unki specific needs ke hisaab se support karta hai. CBM ki madad se Shams ne financial aur psychological support paya hai, jisne unke career me ek naya mod diya.
Apne record-breaking swim ke baad Shams ne kaha,
“Yeh mera sapna tha jo aaj pura ho gaya. CBM India ki sponsorship ne meri life me ek game-changer ka kaam kiya. Financial support ke alawa unhone mujhe woh confidence diya jo meri performance ko aur behatar banata hai. Main unka shukriya ada karta hoon, jinhone mujhe apne goals pursue karne ka mauka diya.”
Shams Aalam ka yeh safar sabhi ke liye ek prerna hai, jo dikhata hai ki mushkilon ke baad bhi sapne pure kiye ja sakte hain.
