Six-year-old Ismail Zulfic who was born with no arms and a club foot, has defied the odds to become a swimming champion in Bosnia. The young boy who has two major physical disabilities, used to be scared of water before he was introduced to swimming classes for children with disabilities, which gave him a new sense of purpose in life. With the help of sports graduate Amel Kapo, Zulfic began to attend SPID, swimming classes funded without state support for children with disabilities. Speaking to Metro, Kapo said: “Yes, their bodies might be different. But if you give them an opportunity to prove themselves they know how to take it and use it. My goal was to bring children with disabilities into the open.” Zulfic’s parents struggle to cover the costs of their son’s new hobby, so SPID helps to fund his swimming gear and cover the costs for fuel so he can continue to attend. The 6-year-old has won a gold medal at a regional competition for disabled swimmers and has hopes to compete in Germany later this year at the world para-swimming championships. Shawn Slevin, founder of the Swim Strong Foundation in New York, caught wind of Zulfic’s amazing achievements, and traveled to Saravejo in Bosnia to give extra training sessions to the youngster and other children. His father Ismet Zulfic said: “You can learn a lot from him. You can learn how to appreciate life — not only your own but also the lives of other. (He’s) a real fighter.” (SD-Agencies) | 