'Our own' Paralympian

 Against the odds: One Paralympian’s dream The Sierra Leonean Paralympic delegation this year consists of one man, Mohamed Kamara (pictured above carrying the flag). He competed in the men’s T46 classification 100m and 200m, with a personal best of 11.65 seconds prior to the games.Mohamed is a shining example of resilience, one of the key skills that The Collective aims to instill in our volunteers. He was still a child when the rebel war erupted into Sierra Leone from Liberia, and like many victims of the war, he still bears the scars today. When asked about his disability, Mohamed described how when rebels attacked his village they ‘chopped our hands and they killed my mother and father in front of me’. Due to medical complications, Mohamed had to have his entire arm amputated, something that attracted the taunts of bullies which would lead many to despair.

Instead, he started running, and in 2002 was scouted by his current coach Abu Bakar Conteh (above) who saw someone bursting with potential. ‘He’s a man with dedication, he’s a man with talent, he’s a man with determination …so all those difficulties and discouragement he does absorb it and take courage for himself in order to pursue his talent’. Mohamed is desperate to do his country proud and raise awareness of disability issues. ‘I’m going to do it. I’m going to prove it, to take the Salone flag higher. To take the nation higher’. Mohamed competed in the men’s T46 100m and 200m.