Meet Ibrahim Hamadtou. He is a 43-year-old man from Egpyt. He lost both his arms in a train accident when he was just ten. And he is also a professional table-tennis player, who just competed at the Paralympics.
As the video above demonstrates, Hamadtou is one inspiring figure. He uses his feet to serve the ball and his mouth to hold the paddle. And he's mastered this art, winning silver medals at the African Championships and achieving his lifelong dream of participating in the Paralympics.
An interview with CNN revealed that after his accident, the Egyptian athlete experimented with various ways of gripping the paddle, even trying to hold it under his armpit, before deciding to handle it with his mouth.
"It was quite difficult playing table tennis after the accident," Hamadtou said. "I had to practice hard for three consecutive years on a daily basis."
His efforts bore fruit. Hamadtou lost both his opening round matches at the Paralympics but that did not stop his opponents from acknowledging his greatness. "It was an absolute honour for me to start off against the legend that is Ibrahim," said the British champion David Wetherill, Hamadtou's opponent in the first match.
