Wheelchair Tennis Player Sets the Stage For Others

Mohamed, now 36 years old, was two when he contracted Polio. Since his early school years, Mohammed’s goal has been to become a professional athlete. He began his sports journey with volleyball at age 12, in El-Monofeya, Egypt, but ultimately stopped playing due to the lack of accessibility and the distance of travel. After completing his university studies at Benha University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature, Mohamed moved to Cairo to pursue a career and life in sports. In Cairo, he initially struggled to find an accessible sport, until he discovered a para-sport new to the country of Egypt: wheelchair tennis. He began to practice and compete, going on to become a professional wheelchair tennis player, ranking first in Egypt and holding the title of African vice-champion.

In addition to working as a Sellout Manager at L’Oréal Egypt for the past nine years, Mohamed currently serves as an ambassador for the Helm Foundation, an organization that aims to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life. During his time there, he has participated in several events, given motivational speeches, and participated in different awareness campaigns about disability. Mohamed’s passion for sports inspired him to found the adaptive fitness entity Fit-ability, which helps people with disabilities perform better in their daily activities.

Mohamed believes disability shouldn’t disqualify a person from participating in some aspects of life; his goal is to make sports available to all by ensuring equal opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sports. He hopes to provide a real opportunity for all, especially for the next generation.