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"I just want others to know, we can do more than what people think." Born at 24 weeks and diagnosed with autism and Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), 21-year-old Abbas Ahmad shares his journey of overcoming obstacles to win a silver medal at the Special Olympics, proving his resilience and talent in bowling while aspiring to live independently and inspire others.

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Transcript
00:00Most people are impressed to learn that I won medals representing Singapore in bowling.
00:09But behind that, there's so much hard work and support that went into my journey.
00:15Not many people know.
00:22I'm Abbas Ahmad. I'm 21 years old.
00:26And I bowl with the Bowling Association for the Disabled Singapore.
00:31These days, I train almost every week.
00:34I won a Segway medal at the Special Olympics in Berlin last year.
00:39That was a proud moment for me.
00:43As his mother, I am very proud of him.
00:47From a child who couldn't handle noise or speak clearly
00:52to someone who is now calm, under pressure, and chasing goals.
00:59Abbas was born at 24 weeks.
01:03And he was only weighing at 605 grams.
01:07He also developed some complications.
01:10He has ROP, a condition that damaged his eye
01:14due to abnormal blood vessels caused by a birth.
01:18The heart has not been mature.
01:20So, he has to go for the heart surgery.
01:22He stayed in a hospital for almost six months.
01:26When he was a one-year plus,
01:28that's when I found out that he has autism.
01:32Autism is a developmental condition.
01:34It affects how a person sees the world.
01:37How they process sound, light, emotion, and even touch.
01:44When we go to the mall, people will stare at him.
01:46Because he likes to talk, like making noise, scream.
01:50I will always tell them that,
01:52Sorry, my child is special.
01:54Sorry, my child is special.
01:55Like that.
01:56They didn't understand.
01:57And it was difficult at times for me.
02:00When I was younger, I didn't like noisy places.
02:05I got overwhelmed easily and would want to leave.
02:10But nowadays, when I bowl, I get a sense of calmness.
02:15And I find that I can focus on the dots, on the floor,
02:19and the pins at the end of the lane.
02:22And I don't have to think about anything else.
02:25So, I try to put a lot of sports like swimming,
02:29or soccer,
02:31all never goes well for Abbas.
02:33So, bowling.
02:34I see that bowling really, really,
02:36he has interest in that.
02:38And my friend,
02:39she saw us playing at the bowling center.
02:42She said,
02:43Why not you send Abbas to the Special Olympics for trial?
02:46One of the coaches couldn't believe
02:48it was his first time playing.
02:50So, the very first day, the coach already said,
02:53Hey, he's not like a normal person,
02:55like a normal bowler.
02:56He got talent.
02:57Then he selected him and put him into the Special Olympics.
03:01Coach Derek never saw Abbas disabilities as a limitation.
03:06From beginning, he already offered Abbas
03:08for the one-on-one coaching session with him.
03:11He already said Abbas can go far.
03:13So, that's why he wants to train Abbas.
03:16Even though he's very natural in the bowling,
03:21he's very good in bowling,
03:22but there is a risk.
03:24Normally, it's a six games.
03:26So, there's one period that he has to play more than that.
03:30After a while, the coach noticed that the way he threw his ball,
03:34not good.
03:35So, he asked him to stop.
03:36So, that's when he realized that his hand has sprained.
03:39So, he said, I need to bring him to the clinic.
03:41And then, he has to rest.
03:43He cannot play bowling for at least a week.
03:45So, that makes him very sad.
03:48You could see how much he misses being out there on the lanes.
03:53Even so, life outside the bowling lane was still full of challenges.
03:59There was a incident.
04:02He went up with his friends.
04:04His friends said,
04:05you have to pay for me first.
04:06I will pay you later.
04:08They never did.
04:09They really made use of him.
04:11So, I was telling Abbas,
04:13do you want me to call the parents straight away
04:15and ask for the money?
04:16He said, no, leave it.
04:18From this incident, I realized Abbas is forgiving.
04:22But I also tell him to choose your friend wisely.
04:26In 2022, Abbas lost his father.
04:31He passed away from a heart attack.
04:36My father was an athlete on the national team as well.
04:39And I was very close to him.
04:45I miss him every day.
04:49And I just want my father to be so proud of me one day.
04:55As his mother, I'm proud.
04:58He has improved in social skills.
05:01His behavior, his studies, all this.
05:04And even into sports.
05:06So, I think he has been a very fine man.
05:11From somebody that people tell me that your son is a retard.
05:15He can't do anything.
05:16He will be useless.
05:18For him to come to this spa, I'm very proud of him.
05:24I just want him to be independent.
05:27Work, have his own money.
05:29Live life the fullest.
05:31I know the siblings will be here.
05:33But I don't want him to trouble them.
05:35When I think about the future, I hope I can join the elite team and represent Singapore.
05:42I also want to find a good job and save up money.
05:47One day, I hope I can live more independently and travel.
05:52I just want others to know we can do more than people think.
05:57It may not be in the way people expect.
06:00We might need time or help, but we can achieve great things too.
06:06Finally, listen to those two.
06:23You
06:30You

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