Kingsmeadow— Tanzania's first wheelchair athlete set to make Paralympic debut tomorrow
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Hilmy ‘Lightning’ Shawwal has spent the past 12 years preparing for Paris 2024, training “mostly at Kingsmeadow” athletics track in Kingston upon Thames.
The 27-year-old athlete will take to the Paralympic stage at 10:52 tomorrow, 4 September, for the Men’s 100m. He is the first to compete in the event in Tanzania’s history.
“I’m putting Tanzania on the map. Not just in wheelchair racing, but on the map in general,” he said.
Eagle-eyed viewers would have spotted Hilmy’s first on-screen appearance in Paris at Wednesday 28 August’s opening ceremony. 4,463 athletes from 169 countries paraded around the Place de la Concorde – the first time the ceremony has been held outside of a stadium – flying their nations’ colours for the world to see. Hilmy was Tanzania’s flag bearer, as his nation’s only representative at the competition.
The athlete is keen to honour his heritage despite his upbringing in London. Born to two Tanzanian parents, Hilmy and his family still speak Swahili at home, saying he was “absolutely proud that I [was] holding my parents flag [...] I felt incredible”.
Hilmy hopes Paris 2024 is just the first of many milestones he will reach during his career, saying: “Los Angeles is definitely one of them.”
Ten family members have left for Paris in support of his Paralympic debut. There is one major exception however: his mother, who Hilmy explains gets too nervous during his races to watch in-person.
Those hoping to catch a glimpse of Hilmy ‘Lightning’ Shawwal can do so at the first round of the Men’s 100m T54, which will begin at 10:52 tomorrow, 4 September. In the UK, the games are being broadcast on Channel 4.