“I want to make sure other athletes won’t be forgotten the same way as me. These athletes work hard all their life, and they only deserve the best. When I started powerlifting in 1980, I never saw myself being rich from it because I knew it wasn’t a famous sport, and I was a disabled athlete. 

I chose to train anyway, hoping that one day I would be a household name that could bring change to the sports scene. 

Eventually I managed to win two bronze medals for Malaysia.

Yet here I am, in this tiny living room of mine with nothing to offer but my story. 

I was a seven time paralympian, an ice cream seller, a tailor and also a lift attendant.

Those were some very tough times, I still feel like I had been used like a piece of rag cloth. 

I haven’t signed an autograph for so long, this is the first time in about five years. 

I try not to complain, but it’s hard when there are four other mouths besides mine to feed. 

My children are in school and my son wants to be a powerlifter like me. 

He even has a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger hung up in the wall.

How will I show him this is a sustainable future when I live in dump like this?

It breaks my heart to think about this, but I am really grateful disabled athletes now get the same treatment as able-bodied athletes – they truly deserve it”. 

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Story contributed by May Alexandra

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

Do you have a story? Let us know here: https://forms.gle/ht4HsvbxgSgcKS5h8

 

(This post was first published on September 14th 2016)

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