A refugee kid with will of steel
Abbas Karimi’s story is one of breaking limits, physical or geographical.
Born without arms in the turmoil-riddled nation of Afghanistan, Karimi spent much of his life as a refugee, navigating the hardships of multiple refugee camps, only to become a celebrated para-swimming champion.
Facing rejection and stigma from an early age, Abbas found freedom in water. As conflict overtook Afghanistan, he fled—living in Iran and several Turkish refugee camps.
At 12, Karimi began training in kickboxing. A year later, he turned to swimming, and at just 13, he won his first competitive event—the Afghan national championships.
Karimi's incessant rise
Training relentlessly in refugee camp pools, Abbas’s talent stood out. Granted asylum in the US in 2016, he thrived from the get-go—winning silver at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships and, in 2021, representing the Refugee Paralympic Team in Tokyo.
With the Paralympics behind him, Abbas set his sights on new victories.
In 2021, he claimed gold in the 200-meter backstroke and 200-meter butterfly at the US Masters Swimming Long Course Nationals. The following year, he triumphed in the 50-meter butterfly at the Indianapolis World Series.
Karimi competed for the US team at the 2024 Summer Paralympics and was part of the US team that came second in the Mixed 4×50 m freestyle relay 20 pts event.
He was the first refugee athlete to win a medal at a World Para Swimming Championships.
Karimi’s coaches, Marty Hendrick and Blake Woodrow, describe him as a hard worker, a good teammate, and a source of inspiration for many of his fellow swimmers.
A voice for the vulnerable
Karimi has been a formal UNHCR supporter since 2021 and advocates for disability, sports, and refugee issues.
“I felt the power and the importance of representation. It was time for the world to see what people with disabilities - including refugees - can achieve when they have the right opportunities. Every medal that I win is not just for me, it’s for lots of people, it’s for my family, for my legacy, for my father”, Abbas Karimi.
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