Shark Attack Victim at Paralympics Wins Bronze Medal
An athlete competing in the 2012 Paralympics games in London has won a bronze medal after he lost his leg during a shark attack six years ago.
Achmat Hassiem, a 30-year-old South African, revealed that instead of being bitter about the unfortunate circumstances, he uses the attack as motivation when he swims.
"My little secret is obviously that I just try and imagine I'm in the ocean and I've got a 4 1/2-meter great white shark at my feet … It's definitely good motivation to swim fast," Hassiem told the Associated Press.
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Hassiem was surfing with his brother Tariq off the coast of South Africa six years ago when he came across the shark. The shark went for his brother and Hassiem, acting on impulse, started slapping the water to distract the predator- it worked.
The shark then turned his attention to Hassiem, biting his right leg and then dragging him beneath the ocean's surface.
But the attack did not leave Hassiem upset or bitter in any way, and the athlete even feels that losing his leg was actually a blessing.
"I believe I lost my leg for a good reason … Losing a leg is nothing compared to losing my brother, so I'm just trying to make the best of it," he said.
Hassiem first got the idea to compete in the Paralympics after he met another South African Paralympian, Natalie Du Toit.
"It's been great to see Achmat do better and better in the last couple of years … I think he's become a role model because people look at him and wonder how they would cope in that situation. He's just gotten on with it and kept going," she told AP.
Hassiem is scheduled to compete in several events during the 2012 Paralympics in London, including the 400-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle.
