Majdi al-Tatr is a 42-year-old father of five children, from the besieged Gaza Strip.
When he was only 12, he was involved in a car accident. Tragically, his brother was killed in the accident, while Majdi lost his leg. Despite his disability, Majdi works as a swimming coach in Gaza.
“I lost my leg at a young age; but it was the beginning of a new path for me,” Majdi told The Palestine Chronicle.
“The accident was an incentive to discover new talents. I learned how to swim. I constantly improved, until I became a swimming coach.”
Over the years, Majdi took part in several local and international swimming tournaments. In 2000, he participated in the Arab Swimming Championship in Jordan, harvesting two gold and one silver medals.
He traveled across the Arab region, from Egypt to the UAE, to Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. He continued to improve, acquiring new certificates, and eventually becoming a swimming instructor and a rescuer.
“Currently, I work as a coach at the Palestinian Swimming School in Gaza, where I train students from different age groups, ranging from 4 to 60 years old,” Majdi said.
“I am also happy because my children inherited my passion for swimming. My eldest son Mutasim, who is now 15, works with me at the swimming school.”
(All Photos: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
