The Miracle that defeated disability

Korea.net has launched a new collaborative project with its honorary reporters around the world. Each honorary reporter will write a story on the same topic, but from each of their own home cities. The stories will then be shared with our community of Korea.net readers.

For the first subject in the series, Korea.net asked our honorary reporters to send in a touching story from their home communities. Here's our ninth story on this subject, from Sudan.

This story will take you through a short journey in the life of one of the most famous champions in Sudan, Sara Jad Allah. This 61-year-old heroin has overcome her leg disability with a strong willingness. Her story started when she was only 2-years-old and was diagnosed with paralysis in one of her legs. Back then, doctors suggested swimming as a natural therapy. Since then, the road of achievements started.

Her father was her first supporter. He saw that the best way to turn this disability into a talent was by encouraging his daughter to participate in swimming competitions along with her healthy friends. Sara started swimming short distances and won medals in those categories: 50 m butterfly, 100 m freestyle, 100 m and 200 m backstroke, too. When she proved herself, she moved on to swimming long distances and succeeded as well. She wrote her name as one of the great swimmers in Sudan in the 1970s. Sara is proud of her participations in cities in Sudan, such as Adbara, Dunghula and Jabal Awleya, though the last one was the longest of all, when she had to cross 40 m, something that she never tried before and succeeded at.

Sara also represented Sudan in the international field in countries like Kenya, the U.K. and China, where she won a gold medal. However, she considers the Capri Napoli race in Italy as one of her most important foreign races of all time. In the Capri Naples, Sara found herself in front of a different atmosphere, in addition to the large audience and media coverage that accompanied the race. Moreover, it was her first time to swim in salty sea water, unlike the non salty Nile River where she used to swim. The Italian race officials questioned Sara’s ability to cross 36 km in these circumstances. They also advised her to quit since she didn’t have the required equipment for swimming, and for being without a coach, like her other participants. Her father was the only person she had along, with his small camera to document the event.

Sara has explained the obstacles she faced in that race by saying, "Although I didn't have what the race required, both the Egyptian and the Saudi missions supported me prior to this race. I had this internal courage to win despite feeling tired in the last 5 km to the finish line when I heard the audience screaming, "Viva Sara! Viva Sara." She achieved the silver medal and the recognition she always dreamed of. In addition to that, and for the first time in the history of this race, Italians played the national Sudanese anthem for the second place winner and not only for the first one.

Sara Jad allah is still active in the field as a coach and a trainer in Khartoum swimming clubs, besides her work in the media as a director, similar to her well known late father, Jad Allah Jubarah, the photographer of Sudan’s independence day. She has her own production studio and has produced over 20 documentaries. Her father has also made a film called "Viva Sara" to recognize his daughter’s accomplishments and to leave it as a legacy to coming generations.

Sara Jad allah will always be a live role model who defeated disability to create a miracle, and a great example of a human's ability to succeed, no matter how hard life can be.

By Nahar Hafazalla

Korea.net Honorary Reporter

Photo: 

http://www.alhayat.com/

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