Surfing the waves and feeling the path to gold…the story of Omar Nasr, the first blind swimmer in Jordan sports

Jordanian child Omar Nasr does not need his eyes to know his way into the pool, as his sense of the water was his truest guide.

With confident strokes and precise movements, the ten-year-old was able to become the first blind swimmer to professionally play the sport in his country, transforming the darkness of vision into a passion that defies the waves and transcends all barriers.

Invisible wall

In the water, Omar is waging his own battle with distances. He tells Al Jazeera that the most difficult thing he faces is estimating the distance from the edge of the pool, in an attempt to avoid hitting his head, which is a challenge that sometimes catches him by surprise when he miscalculates.

Despite his initial fears, Omar was able to transform fear into strength with the support of his family, which was his first pillar of continuity.

In his training, Omar relies on “sensory engineering.” He feels the “pool rope” to ensure the straightness of its path, and infers directions by touch and calculated steps, guided by the voice of his coach, which comes to him like a compass from outside the water.

Darkened glasses

Behind this distinction lies a unique human experience that his coach Sherif Lotfy went through. To realize the scale of the challenge, Lotfi decided to swim with “dark goggles” to experience Omar’s feeling inside the water and get closer to his sensory experience.

Based on this experience, a special training plan was developed that took into account Omar’s needs, while ensuring that he was treated like any other child without discrimination.

Lotfi told Al Jazeera that Omar’s constant motivation was an inspiration to him, as the young man did not stop asking for more training, which strengthened the conviction that the will is capable of overcoming any physical obstacle.

Dream of gold

Omar’s ambitions do not stop at playing sports, but rather extend to the podiums. He believes that winning a gold medal in a local competition was a defining moment that gave him additional strength to believe in his abilities.

Today, Omar continues his training with determination, setting his sights on participating in major races and achieving international achievements, stressing in every dive that “there is no room for surrender” in his dictionary.