Abbas Karimi exclusive: from escaping war to winning silver at Paris 2024, Team USA star aims to inspire refugees around the world

Abbas Karimi was aged just 16 when he fled Afghanistan to pursue his dreams of becoming a Paralympic medallist.

In 2013 the teenager left his war-torn country, travelling through Iran and the Zagros Mountains on foot while evading border police, wild dogs and surviving extreme cold and hunger, before finally reaching safety in Turkey.

Karimi's hazardous journey should give you a glimpse into his force of will - one that was built prior to his decision to leave his home.

Born without arms in Kabul, Karimi faced relentless discrimination and bullying growing up, so much so that when he was 12 he took up kickboxing to defend himself. But the following year his brother built a 25-metre community swimming pool, and when Karimi (with lifejacket equipped) entered the water for the first time, he knew he had found a vehicle to change his life forever.

"When I started swimming, I saw a path that [could lead to] a brighter future, one that could take me somewhere I'd never been before," Karimi told Olympics.com.

"Before I found [the sport], I always thought to myself, 'Ok, I'm a kid with no arms. But can I be more than that?'"

Karimi eventually discovered he was a talented swimmer, and it wasn't long before the youngster had cast aside the lifejacket and was practising different strokes on his own. Not long after, Karimi got his first taste of success in the pool by winning the Afghan national championship.

Despite his obvious potential, Karimi's family had designs on having him married so he could be taken care of. His disablity, they thought, would hold him back in life. His father wanted him to become a leader in the local mosque.

But Karmi - who eats, showers, gets dressed, writes and even drives a car with his feet - had bigger plans for himself.

“I just wanted to get out of that world and prove them wrong," he told Paralympic.org. "As a person with a disability, I didn’t fit into that society. I had to leave.”

Karimi also worried about his safety in his Afghanistan.

“There were a lot of bombs exploding in Kabul. I wasn’t the type of kid to stay inside the house so I could have been killed at any time if I stayed.”

And so, Karimi embarked on his perilous three-day journey to Turkey, finally reaching a refugee camp - one of four he would live in between 2013 and 2016.

Despite his circumstances, Karimi never abandonned swimming, training twice a day at a pool an hour away from his camp. The persistence paid off, as it resulted in 15 medals including two Turkish national championships.

In 2016, through the help of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Mike Ives (a retired teacher and former wrestling coach in the USA, who came across a video of Karimi on Facebook), Karimi was able to resettle in Portland, Oregon, where he resumed swimming and began training for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

In advance of these Games, Karimi had already competed at two world championships as a refugee athlete, winning a silver in the 50 butterfly S5 in 2017.

He was selected to compete in Japan as part of the Refugee Paralympic Team, which represents the millions of people around the world who have been forced to flee their country due to war, persecution or human rights abuses.

Karimi - who was one of the team's flagbearers at the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo - competed in the 50 meter butterfly S5 and 50 meter backstroke S5 events, qualifying for the final and finishing eighth in the former.

In 2021 Karimi became a U.S. citizen, and won his first world title as a member of the U.S. 4x50-meter medley relay team at the 2022 world championships.

Two years later Karimi was selected once again to represent Team USA at Paris 2024, and this past Friday (30 August), the 27-year-old finally reached the Paralympic podium by virtue of their silver-medal finish in the 4x50-meter freestyle 20pts final.

"It feels very special. It's the happiest moment of my life," Karimi told Olympics.com. "I fulfilled my legacy. Finally my dream came true. I've wanted this for 12 years, and finally I made it happen."

It's a remarkable achivement, made all the more special given what he had to endure to simply have a chance to compete in Paris.

"My whole journey has been very hard for me," he adds. "A lot of suffering. A lot of pain. But in the end, I improvised, I overcame, I adapted to the hardship, and I came through it. And here we are."

While Paris 2024 is Karimi's first Games as a member of Team USA, he continues to be an advocate for the Refugee Paralympic Team.

"It's very important that we have the Refugee Paralympic Team to give refugees and displaced people around the world hope, motivation and encouragement that they can look for a better and more positive life, and they can be part of the world.

"I believe that giving encouragement to someone else can save their life.

"Every time I see them [the Refugee Paralympic Team] I become emotional because being a part of that team can be a very lonely [experience] because we're from different worlds, different countries. We come together, but at the same time we're there to compete, we're there to win a medal. It's not easy, but it's possible.

"It depends on you. How hungry you are and how bad you want it. It was not easy for me, but I wanted it [winning a Paralympic medal] so badly and I made it happen."

Karimi's adventure in Paris is not over yet, as he's targeting more medals in the 50m freestyle S5 and 50m butterfly S5, scheduled for the 4th and 5th September respectively.

And before he takes to the water once more, Karimi has a message for anyone fighting to achieve their own goals in life.

"Never give up. Never quit, no matter how impossible your dream or goals are. If it's a positive goal, keep fighting for it and you will be successful."