Asad Rafi

Imran Khan A Man of Dreams

2012-01-24T02:57:00.000-08:00

Imran was my first role model in life. Ever since Sports has become a part of my life, sportsmen have really inspired me through their performance and sheer presence. Imran is one such name who had such an amazing personality which made him head and shoulders above the rest. When Imran played cricket, I used to follow cricket like crazy specially Imran’s performance. This trend continued later on when he went on to become the captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team.

Imran went on to become the most successful captain of the Pakistan cricket team. It was his quality of always giving his best through his performance and never giving up which made me hero worship him. I also had the good fortune of meeting Imran in 1987 in Lahore and again a couple of years later in Karachi. He had come to my house and that was indeed one of the happiest moments of my life.

Imran ended his cricketing career on a high by winning the World Cup for Pakistan in 1992. Everyone had written Pakistan off except for Imran who always believed in his team that we can win. After retiring from cricket Imran began his quest on building the first ever cancer hospital in Pakistan. Having been inspired by the suffering and death of his mother, the hospital was named after her name Shaukat Khanum. All around Imran people were laughing at his idea of making a cancer hospital in Pakistan, as they thought Pakistan did not have the infrastructure for the making of a cancer hospital. Imran while playing cricket had over 50 successful fundraisers held throughout the world. Pakistan's win under Imran's captaincy in the 1992 cricket world cup in Melbourne helped fundraising efforts. He was able to collect one and a half million pounds in just six weeks after the World Cup when the same amount had taken 2 years to collect earlier. He donated his entire prize money of 85,000 pounds for the project. In 1994 when the project required more financing for the ongoing construction, Imran Khan launched a mass contact campaign in which he toured 27 cities in the country and collected Rs. 120 million. Imran’s dream of making the first ever cancer hospital in Pakistan finally came true on the 29^th of December 1994 when Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital opened it’s doors in Lahore. It has come to be recognized as one of the most credible and resilient charities in Pakistan. Imran currently serves as the chairman of the hospital and continues to raise funds through charity and public donations. Princess of Wales Lady Diana also visited Lahore in 1996 to raise funds for the hospital.

Imran continued with his social work and after having completed the cancer hospital then went on to become the first ever technical college in Pakistan. On 27 April 2008, Khan's brainchild, a technical college in the Mianwali District called Namal College, was inaugurated. Namal College was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT), as chaired by Khan, and was made an associate college of the University of Bradford (of which Khan is Chancellor) in December 2005. Currently, Khan is building another cancer hospital in Karachi, using his successful Lahore institution as a model. Imran also plans to make a knowledge city in Mianwali, like Oxford in England. While in London, he also works with the Lord’s Taverners, a cricket charity.

In 1996, Khan founded a political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which emphasized on anti-corruption policies.The newly formed party was unable to win a seat during the 1997 Pakistan General Election. Initially everyone including me thought Imran had made a big mistake by joining politics and politics was not his cup of tea. Nobody used to take him seriously as a politician including my father who used to say he talks rubbish. After the 2008 General Elections, one political columnist described Imran as one of the utter failures in Pakistani politics.

Imran once again displayed his quality of never giving up and slowly but surely his party began ton began popularity in Pakistan. Last year I was invited to a talk by Imran on his dream for Pakistan by a friend of mine. Imran spoke about his ideology for Pakistan which included the promise of deregulating the economy and creating a welfare state; decreased bureaucracy and anti-corruption laws, to create and ensure a clean government; the establishment of an independent judiciary; overhaul of the country's police system; and an anti-militant vision for a democratic Pakistan. I was totally mesmerized by what Imran said. That was the time when I decided to become a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Other prominent leaders began joining PTI including Shah Mahmood Qureshi from Pakistan Peoples Party and the veteran political leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Javed Hashmi.

25^thof December 2011 was a watershed day for Imran and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. There was a political rally by PTI held at Quaid-e-Azam’s mazar which was also the date of his birth anniversary. It was my first time experience of going to a political rally of PTI held in Karachi. I was told by many people not to go as it was risky and not safe to go, but I had made a commitment to go. Since I was a member of PTI and was with Imran all the way. Upon reaching the venue it was crowded and the organizers seeing that I was on a wheelchair was immediately taken to where the stage had been made. After a short while I was taken to a place by one of the organizers from where I could have a great view of the stage.The atmosphere was absolutely electric with people chanting PTI slogans and waving PTI flags. People were wearing PTI caps and had tattoos of the PTI color on their faces. I felt so happy and excited to be part of such a patriotic and enthusiastic atmosphere. You had to be there to enjoy and feel the excitement. People from all sects including Punjabi, Sindhi, Mohajirs, Pathans, Baluchis, were present there. A lot of young people including boys and girls were there. You could see that all the educated class of people were with Imran. The last time I saw people from all races present was during the semi final match of the Cricket World Cup between Pakistan and India.

Imran said in his speech of being a man of dreams. He dreamt of playing test cricket at the age of 9 and then making Pakistan the best cricket team in the world when he was the captain. Then came his dream of making the first ever cancer hospital in Pakistan. All his dreams have been fulfilled till now through sheer hard work. Then he thought of finally joining politics and serve Pakistan. He explained how he was greatly impressed by the democratic style of government in England when he went to England at an early age. The vision of his party for Pakistan is rule of law, making judiciary free, improving and promoting health and education facilities and finishing off corruption. He promised of finishing corruption in 90 days. Imran believed that his party’s time has come. The time for justice and clean politics has come. All people will be selected on merit on his party and they will have to declare their assets in order to contest elections.

Imran’s tsunami totally swept Karachi. The tsunami in Karachi was so great that it overtook the effect of the tsunami held in Lahore. I felt proud of being present there and able to witness one of the most historic rally held in Karachi. Who will bring change Imran Khan the people chanted slogans. Change is in the air and inshallah 2012 will be Imran’s year.

I feel proud of being a Pakistani because of Imran. What he has achieved in his life, people can only dream of scaling those heights. First came winning the cricket world cup for Pakistan, followed by making the first ever cancer hospital in Pakistan getting his inspiration from his mother who suffered from cancer and eventually died due to cancer. Then he went on to make the first ever technical college known as Namal College in Mianwali. He is a man of words and does what he says as we can see. Imran makes us all proud because of his never giving up qualities and having faith in God. Imran in his own words says that you only lose when you give up. It is his commitment to always serve Pakistan which makes him head and shoulders above all other people.

r Hospital & Research Centre, a charitable cancer hospital with 75 percent free care, opened in Lahore on 29 December 1994. Khan currently serves as the chairman of the hospital and continues to raise funds through charity and public donations. Princess of Wales Lady Diana also visited Lahore in 1996 in order to raise funds for the Cancer hospital.

Positive in Life

2011-12-29T03:17:00.000-08:00

Having a Disability

Actually the thing is that when you are in a wheelchair, every challenge is a motivation. Things which are ordinary for normal people is a big challenge for a person in a wheelchair for instance going to the washroom, changing clothes or sitting in a car. Meeting or accomplishing these challenges makes a physically challenged person very motivated. It makes a person having some sort of disability battle hardened and always having a positive mind set. They also never let their disability come in the way of what they wanted to achieve.

Friedrich's Ataxia

I would like to briefly talk about the problems I have faced. Being diagnosed with Friedrich’s Ataxia at the age of 12 and being transferred into a wheel chair at 20 resulted in all my dreams being shattered. It naturally was a very frustrating time for me. Seeing a wheel chair for the first time was not something I had dreamt about and I was told I will never be able to walk again. This wheel chair felt like a prison for me in the beginning, preventing me from what I wanted to do and confining me where I wanted to go. It is a genetic disease causing progressive damage to the nervous system.

Having a Positive Mindset

Like all my role models whose examples are I will be giving below, I decided to fight, never give up and have a positive frame of mind. I succeeded in becoming a motivational speaker and my inspiration came from W. Mitchell. Like Mitchell I wanted to share my story with other individuals and my slogan is the same as Mitchell’s “It is not what happens to you it is what you do about it”. I wanted to tell the world who I am and not run away from my problems. It does require a lot of hard work and patience. I would say that I do not have any regrets in life and having Friedrich’s Ataxia instilled in me a stronger will power and the ability to struggle in life at all times.

I would like to give examples of how the 3 qualities I mentioned have helped me and proved beneficial in my life.

Never Give Up:

There is not any lack of people who will tell you that you can’ts do something no matter how difficult it may be. I would like to give examples of my role models who have shown to achieve success in life by never giving up. Firstly Imran Khan who made the first cancer hospital in Pakistan by never giving up despite of people discouraging him and not giving him any hope of making a hospital. Secondly it would have to be the great tennis player Roger Federer for his never saying die attitude in a match in spite of being in a hopeless situation. I can give my example of swimming lengths. There was a time when I was not able to do a full length. It used to upset me, since I used to do 15 to 20 lengths not long ago. I decided not to give up and keep up my quest for doing a length and eventually I succeeded. It made me a happy and satisfied. It illustrates the importance of never giving up if you want to be successful in life.

My example of having belief in my abilities:

When I was transferred into a wheelchair at the age of 20 I simply wanted to continue living my life the way it was before. I wanted to be as active and mobile as I could. Swimming was my passion and it had become a major ingredient in my life. Thinking of living my life without swimming was unthinkable for me. It was also important to swim for my health, as well as helping me to reduce weight. With having all these advantages of swimming, it was having the belief in my abilities of being able to swim despite being in a wheelchair which proved to be motivational and successful for me. Having a good swim always makes me very happy and satisfied.

Having Faith in God:

Having faith in God is having the kind of confidence and trust in him and enables you to commit your soul to him as the Saviour and the Lord. I would say that God is great and has his own ways of giving you happiness and always compensates things.

Before going to do some important things like giving a motivational talk, having a meeting or going for swimming, I always pray to God for my success and he has always rewarded me. When I am feeling low or frustrated it is my communication with God which has helped me to remain positive and look at the bright side of life.

A Painful Experience

2011-08-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

Life was looking rosy and beautiful for me and I had no complaints. I was keeping busy in doing my work, swimming, going to the gym. I was also on a diet in order to reduce weight for my forthcoming trip to England. Everything was looking good until something totally unexpected happened.

An Unpleasant Surprise

It was a Wednesday and I had gone to the Toastmasters Meeting. The meeting was going on nicely and little did I realize what ill fate was waiting for me. It was the tea break during the meeting and like always I decided to have tea in a glass. I was busy talking to my friends and then the unfortunate accident which I have dreaded till today took place. Piping hot tea fell over my inner thighs, as little did I realize that the glass of tea was on the table, As I was in a wheel chair I could not immediately stand up as is the case when something hot or warm spills over you.

The after effects of my accident

Immediately I could feel burning sensation in my thighs and felt very uncomfortable. I decided to leave the meeting and go home. The drive back home was close to being a nightmarish one. The doctor came to see me the next week and my burns which I received were very painful and a shock to the eyes. I was advised to have bandage everyday and put ointment on my burns. Being confined mainly to my bed in my room was to say the least frustrating as well as annoying. As just to be able to sit in my chair was extremely killing for me. I was told not to have much movement which would result in aggravating my burns. I had to stop all my exercises and life had come to a halt for me.

Getting bored with Life

So my life had been turned around due to the freakish accident I had. When you are confined to your house it is natural to feel frustrated and get agitated as you cannot go out, do anything worth while. For someone who is used to stay busy throughout the day it was extremely tough for me not doing anything. It also resulted in my getting very short tempered and taking out my frustration on other people including my mother at times who had looked after me throughout my accident. I guess it reminded me of getting admitted in the hospital last year due to my heart rate going down. Obviously staying at a hospital has a totally different feel to it than staying at home. The one thing common was the inability to do simple things and exercising regularly.

Resuming my normal life

It was after two to two and a half weeks of rest did I feel better and more energized. As my burns were at a very delicate place I had to make sure that I did not do any further damage to my burnt wounds? I started going to the gym and started doing light exercises. I was starting to feel better and more positive as my injury was healing. It was not until three weeks had passed that I decide that I was fit enough to swim. I was a touch apprehensive when I went for swimming after a gap of three weeks. By the grace of God my swimming went well and it didn’t feel like I was away from swimming for three weeks. I cannot describe how I felt going in the water again.

Looking forward to the future

Four weeks have passed now and the new skin is gradually coming. The doctor did say that I had a high threshold for pain. I guess it was quite an unfortunate accident that occurred but I guess this is life. I have learnt never to take anything for granted in life and just go with the flow. It was a lesson learnt the hard way and a very painful experience. I look forward to having a good vacation in England by the grace of God.

Imran Khan

2011-07-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

Imran Khan was my first role model in life. Ever since sports became a part of my life, sportsmen have really inspired me in life through there performance and presence. Imran is one such name who had such an amazing personality which made him head and shoulders above the rest.

Imran a world class cricketer

When Imran used to play cricket and then went on to become the captain of the Pakistan cricket team I used to follow cricket like crazy, particularly Imran’s performance. I remember going to see the World Cup semi final between Pakistan and Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Everyone present at the stadium was in tears after Pakistan’s loss as we were tipped as one of the favorites to win the World Cup. Imran was the captain of Pakistan at that time. He decided to retire from the game at the end of the 87 World Cup only to be called back to join the team in 1988. At 39, Khan led his teammates to Pakistan's first and only World Cup victory in 1992. He has a record of 3807 runs and 362 wickets in Test cricket, making him one of eight world cricketers to have achieved an All-rounder's Triple' in Test matches.^[1] On 14 July 2010, Khan was inducted into the ICC Ccket Hall of Fame.

Always leading from the front

Imran was one of the most successful captains of Pakistan and would always lead from the front. It was just his mere presence on the field which used to inspire and encourage the other players to do well. It was his quality of always giving his best through his performance and never giving up till the end which truly inspired me in Imran becoming my role model. I had the good fortune of meeting Imran in 1989. He had come to my house and had tea, as my father knew Imran. It indeed was such a privilege for me to meet Imran.

The Social Worker

What Imran has achieved in his illustrious career very few people can dream of accomplishing. After retiring from cricket in 1992 Imran concentrated all his efforts on social work. For more than four years after retiring from cricket in 1992, Khan focused his efforts solely on social work. By 1991, he had founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, a charity organization bearing the name of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum. As the Trust's maiden endeavor, Khan established Pakistan's first and only cancer hospital, constructed using donations and funds exceeding $25 million, raised by Khan from all over the world.^[3] Inspired by the memory of his mother, who died of cancer, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, a charitable cancer hospital with 75 percent free care, opened in Lahore on 29 December 1994.^[7] Khan currently serves as the chairman of the hospital and continues to raise funds through charity and public donations.^[27] Princess of Wales Lady Diana also visited Lahore in 1996 in order to raise funds for the Cancer hospital.

Joining Politics

In April 1996, Khan founded and became the chairman of a political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice).^[3] He represented Mianwali as a member of the National Assembly from November 2002 to October 2007. Imran Khan has been the only politician who has responded to terrorism allegations on Pakistan. While Khan is viewed as a fundamentalist by some political circles, he has suggested solutions for helping US and NATO forces to fight terrorism while at the same time, not creating more terrorists in Pakistan.

An individual who wore many hats

I also had the good fortune of meeting Imran at Hotel Royal Rodale in Karachi. He had come to deliver a talk on the topic “My dream for Pakistan”. He was as usual brilliant and his ideas were immaculate for Pakistan. Imran was of the opinion that having rule of the law is very instrumental for Pakistan. He also stressed upon improving the education system and allow the judiciary to be independent.

A Living Legend

So as you can see from the material above what Imran has achieved in his life and the reasons which make him truly a living legend in Pakistan. He is one of those very few Pakistanis whom you really feel proud of him being a individual of your own country.

Swimming

2011-06-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

My love for swimming

Swimming has been my first love and nothing makes me happier than having a good swim. As I am a sports lover and swimming is the one sport I have continued to do regularly in spite of being transferred in a wheelchair. I get a lot of satisfaction when seeing non handicapped people unable to swim and I see myself swimming despite of being in a wheelchair. Swimming gives me a lot of motivation which in result inspires me also.

Benefits of having my Disease

I would have to say that having the disease also helped me a great deal in becoming determined and having a strong will while swimming. It definitely was not easy in the beginning likewise other things being in a wheelchair. A lot of credit goes to my coach who taught me how to swim and helped me overcome my fear while swimming. I always believed in my abilities that I could swim despite being physically challenged. Also having the knowledge that swimming is important for my health as it helps me in losing weight which has plays a crucial role in my life.

Swimming giving me Motivation

Swimming is the only time when I can move around freely without the assistance of a wheelchair. It keeps me motivated like I set a number of laps I want to achieve before starting my swim. It keeps me motivated to swim as long as I don’t finish the number of laps I had set out to do. Around five to six years back I would say were the best of my life as far as swimming is concerned. Constantly was doing around 25 to 30 laps and was not having any trouble breathing and my stamina had picked up considerably. I guess all good things have to come to an end as was the case with me. I had an incident while swimming which resulted in having consequences for me. It happened while I was in the process of doing a length and I suddenly lost control and felt like I was going down in the water. My coach was with me and saved me from drowning. It took me time to recover from the incident and overcome my fear of not being able to swim again. The Club management told me to always have a coach with me while in the pool. They also instructed me not to swim at night as it was dangerous for me.

Being Determined

Being a determined person my decision was to continue swimming despite my incident. I took it as a challenge that enabled me to overcome the fear of swimming again. I emerged successful on my return to the pool as a result of determination, strong will and having faith in God. I was able to swim without any major mishap until last year. It did not happen while swimming but upon having my check up resulted in my heart rate going up. After taking medication my heart rate was found to be quite low which resulted in my being admitted to the hospital. During my period of recovery I was advised not to swim by the doctor due to my heart not being stable.

Believing in my abilities

It took me several months to return to swimming. Swimming is the essence of my living and without it my life would be totally colorless. Although I was swimming but it was not giving me the same enjoyment or thrill that it used to. The reason was because I was swimming fearing that my heart condition would not deteriorate. I was encouraged by a number of people swimming to wear a belt and start walking in the pool to strengthen my legs. I started using the belt last year and the results were imminent with my legs getting stronger. As I result my focus was more on walking rather than swimming. Doing a number of breaths after walking in the pool was my normal routine in the pool. I would still consider doing a length risky for my heart. It was then that I decided that doing swimming without achieving lengths was no fun. We are talking of the same person who was doing 20 lengths a couple of years back.

Taking it as a challenge to start doing lengths, I was successful in doing lengths and have never felt happier in life. It definitely was a major obstacle I had overcome. I am doing around 10 laps regularly and have had no complaints regarding my heart and stamina.

Being positive in Life

It is extremely important to stay positive in life when you are faced with an obstacle in life. You always need to believe in your abilities and stay determined and maintain your focus in order to achieve something. All these qualities were evident in me after my disease. My swimming is the result and combination of these qualities. The saying “It is not what happens to you It is what you do about It” is totally evident in my quest for swimming.

Roger Federer

2011-05-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

Federer is without any shadow of a doubt the greatest tennis player ever to have picked up a racket. The records he has got are just incomparable to anyone else in tennis. Winning 16 Grand Slams and ruling the world of tennis for over 4 years is something which other players can only dream about.

End of Invincibility

It always hurts to lose, more so when one is accustomed to winning like Federer is, but when losing week in and week out is not because your opponent was better but because you were well below par each time -doubts start to surface and they begin to eat away at us. He has started losing to players who could only think of winning a few games from him let alone a match. He has also lost matches from having a few match points of his own. All these things point to the fact that Roger Federer is no longer invincible.

Determined Individual

There is no doubt that Roger Federer is a resilient character. His career is the exemplar model of resilience. Roger Federer is clearly the be all and end all of achievement in tennis as we know it- but that’s now not enough to shield him from the chasing pack. To say that Federer remains a contender for every Grand Slam event he enters, is a completely fair and valid point to make -but at this point in time, for the first time ever, it has become clear that making said point is simply an attempt to hide behind facts which as of now are redundant

My love for Federer

I have and will always love Roger Federer. He will always have a special place in my heart. It is poetry in motion to watch him in action and the ease with which he plays is a treat for the eyes. Tennis will not be the same for me when Federer decides to call it a day. For me when Federer is playing everything comes to a standstill until his match is not over. Be it early in the morning or late at night I have to watch Federer’s match. He is my number one role model and inspiration in life to do well. His top most qualities are his never say die attitude, his focus on the game and motivating me to do greater things in life. I have a whole wall in my room dedicated to Federer in addition to having posters and a calendar of him. My wardrobe consists of all the t-shirts Federer wears during his matches. If I do not have the t-shirt he is wearing I make it a point to get it as soon as possible. I do not think I will ever feel the same way for any other player or individual for that matter.

Being my Inspiration

Federer is my number one role model in life. Whenever I go for my motivational lectures the name of Roger Federer is always at the top of my list. There are three qualities of his which I have always tried to follow and include in my personality. They are his never say die attitude, determination and focus. Watching him in action always motivates me to do greater things in life. Whenever he is on the verge of losing I have faith in God that there will be some magic from the champion which will turn the tide in his favor. Sadly that spark of magic has seen to be missing from his game lately. I guess you have to admit that he is human after all. Tennis has become so competitive and guys have become much stronger that any player can beat anyone on his day. There is also the fact that he has a family now, which does make it tougher to win.

More fierce competition

The argument that his 16 slams or his previous achievements are enough to make him a contender -when it matters- is now non-sequitur. Players like Murray, Nadal and Djokovic are mentally and physically younger, fitter and stronger than Federer is -age has made it so. Does he really have a chance?

I can lie and say that he does and I'd be backed by evidence and facts. Being honest though, I'd sooner acquiesce that the competiton is just too strong than do that. Federer knows himself better than anyone else will ever know and if he has the faith and ability in himself to be back to number one. Who can argue with that?

Overcoming Nadal and Djokovic

I for one do not have the slightest doubt that Federer will return to the number one position where he has always belonged in the world of tennis. Federer who has 8,390 points trails Nadal and Djokovic by a more sizeable margin than he did in previous weeks. Nadal has 12,070 points and Djokovic hovering closely behind at 11,665 points. Federer is preparing to make his mark at the event that he won in 2009. Federer recently told reporters in Rome that he plans to take a few days off to rest so that he will be physically and mentally fresh for competition at Roland Garros. Last year, Federer was ousted in the quarterfinals by Sweden’s Robin Soderling in four sets.

Federer will likely need to overcome both Nadal and Djokovic to win in Paris, giving him the opportunity to avenge his previous losses to the top two this year. Five of Federer’s seven losses in 2011 have come at the hands of the No. 1 and No. 2: Federer owes three of his losses to the undefeated Serbian, and the Spaniard is responsible for two of his losses.

Having Total Belief in his Abilities

Federer also told reporters recently that he believes it is a very real possibility for him to reclaim the No. 1 position and win another Grand Slam. Many of Federer’s fans agree that the former king of tennis is far from finished at the top, and a strong showing against one or both of the current No. 1 and No. 2 at Roland Garros would be a key step in the right direction for the Swiss.

Are you surprised to see Federer at No. 3 for so long? Do you think he has a chance at reclaiming the top ranking?

And what do you think Federer must do to rise again to No. 1?

Never Give Up (Lance Armstrong)

2011-05-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

On the 4^th of May being a Wednesday there was a Toastmaster meeting. I was to deliver my Project 10 which was “Inspire your Audience”. I was quite confident about delivering my speech, as being a motivational speaker I knew how to inspire people and had done so in the pas

After plenty of searching on the net I decided to go for Lance Armstrong’s inspirational story. He is the cyclist who has won the Tour De France seven times in a row. He is the only individual to have won it seven consecutive times. The title of my speech was Never Give Up in Life.

Never Give Up

Never give up believing in yourself. Whenever you doubt yourself, remember the many amazing stories of failure being turned into major success by amazing people we all know and respect. Every one of us can make a big difference if we only choose to believe in ourselves and never give up.

Today I will talk of one such amazing and inspirational story of never giving up in life, always believing in yourself and defying all odds to become one of the greatest sporting individual the world has seen Lance Armstrong.

Just when you thought life is good to you, something disastrous happened. You can choose to give up and let life’s challenges get you down. Or you can decide to fight it and savour the sweet aftertaste of victory!

Lance Armstrong choose the latter. What about you?

Black 1996

Lance Armstrong was at the peak of his career in early 1996. At that time, he had just won the World Cycling Championships and became the first cyclist to clock the widest winning margin in the U.S. National Road Race Championship’s history. Besides that, he had just signed a 2 year contract to ride with a famous French racing team for $2.5 million.

But his dream of riding for the French crashed on October 2, 1996 when he was diagnosed with advanced stage testicular cancer. The cancerous cells had spread to his lungs and brain and an urgent operation had to be arranged to remove his swollen testicle, which had grown to the size of an orange. Doctors told him he had a 50% chance of survival, even though they later admitted that it was inflated by almost 47%.

An Indomitable Spirit

Though doctors were not optimistic about his recovery, Lance Armstrong never gave up. After all, he was trained not to give up so easily since young. His mother, a single parent had always inculcated values of strong determination and persistence to him. There was once when he was found by his mother near the end of a triathlon about to quit. Upon her encouragement, he completed the race by walking. Although he came out last, he persisted till the end.

Using the same determination, Lance challenged his illness by going through the operation to remove the tumours and the long process of chemotherapy. He lost a lot of weight and was unable to even ride his bike around the neighbourhood. Despite that, he was spiritually revived by his illness.

Surprise Gift

After he completed his chemotherapy sessions and was declared cancer free miraculously, he gradually went back to his first love : biking. His post cancer training proved to be unexpectedly fruitful as he discovered that his 17 pounds of weight loss allowed him to scale stage races (i.e. Multi-day and week races) much more effortlessly than he used to. Previously, he had only participated in 1 other similar race (i.e. Tour de France), withdrawing subsequently due to fatigue and injury in the other years.

As he cycled through the training trails of the Blue Rider Mountains, he sensed that something was different. He was finally ready to be a world class cyclist that stood steadfast regardless of the nature of the races, terrains or weather conditions. He proved it by winning the Tour De France from 1999 to 2005 for a record seven consecutive years.

Lance later wrote that he would choose overcoming cancer to winning the race because it was the former that allowed him to reject doomsday predictions by his doctors over hope and strong faith in himself.

What Did I Learn From This Story?

That whether you like it or not, life’s full of challenges. If you can choose to tackle them with resolve and determination, there’s always something to gain in any challenge, even though it may not seem so evident initially.

(1) Challenges Are Life’s Vitamins

(2) Never take anything for granted: Small things which are ordinary for people , seem like a challenge to others like for example good health in the case of Lance, climbing of stairs for physically challenged people, walking for people in wheelchairs and the list goes on.

When I have got such amazing stories of such individuals such as Armstrong, Stephen Hawking and W. Mitchell of never giving up in life what else can I ask for. They give me the inspiration to do greater things in life, never give up in life and always believe in my abilities. Life is unpredictable and you never know what you are going to get. In the end the choice is yours whether you want to live your life in a positive manner or just feel frustrated and down in life.

It boils down to "It is not what happens to you It is what you do about it”

Hard work paid dividends

I was the fourth prepared speaker and after delivering my speech I knew in my heart that I had done well and that my speech was more powerful and interesting than the three speeches which had been delivered before mine. It came as no surprise to me when I was awarded the best speaker. It was my third award in as many speeches. I felt very happy to know that all my hard work which I had done before the speech had paid dividends.

Icing on the cake

We had a brief meeting after the session was over. We were discussing as to who the new President will be as a new President of Toastmasters is chosen after one year. We were also deciding the people who were going to fill the other roles including Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President etc. To my pleasure I was named as Vice President of Public Relations. Indeed it was a very happy moment for me as the Toastmasters Club had recognized and rewarded me which also showed their belief in me as being a dedicated member.

Toast Masters Meeting

2011-04-11T04:05:00.000-07:00

Being the Table Topic Master

On the 6th of April 2011 which was a Wednesday we had our Toastmaster meeting after a gap of two weeks. I decided to be the table topic master where you have to ask all the members of the club and all guests present random questions which need to be answered by everyone as their name is called out. The members and guests have to speak on the topic for a maximum of 2 minutes.

Theme of meeting

I have been the table topic master previously and enjoy asking different types of questions. We do have a theme for the meeting and the table topic questions are based on that. This time round the President of the Toastmaster’s Club asked me to select a theme for the meeting. I decided to go for Enjoy Life.

General questions on life

My questions were simple and mostly to do with the pleasures of life. It is important to keep the table topic questions simple and short according to the manual of the Toastmaster, enabling the members to talk on the topic without much problem. I started the questions by asking a few on the event which has kept all of us engrossed and totally focused on it. I am talking about the World Cup of cricket.

World Cup mania

The India Pakistan match was seen by everyone and I made sure to have a question on the match. After some questions on the World Cup, I decided to change the flavor of questions to something regarding the theme of the meeting. My questions were on different ways of enjoying life including friends, movies, having a role model, spending free time and the turning point in your life.

Getting Appreciation from Members

The questions were enjoyed by the members and after the meeting I was applauded by them. After the meeting a few of the members came up to me and really encouraged me and appreciated my questions. The President of The Toastmasters Club who is a very dear friend of mine and has always admires me a lot. He was telling some of the new comers about me being one of the favorite members of the club.

Pivotal Change in Life

This is why I always love going to the Toastmasters Meetings. The warmth and the encouragement I get from the other members really make’s my day. They appreciate the fact that I am the only one on a wheelchair and they appreciate the effort I make in coming. The senior members always encourage me to give me more speeches. The Toastmasters has a great significance in my life as it is helped me to improve my public speaking to a great extent. I always look forward to coming to the Toastmasters and learning something new. The Toastmasters Club has changed my life for the better.

India the Deserving Winners of the Cricket World Cup 2011

2011-04-04T04:33:00.000-07:00

India the deserving winners

India bought an end to their 28 year drought of not having won the World Cup. They defeated the Sri Lankan team by 6 wickets to clinch the World Cup for the 2^nd time after 1983. It was a thoroughly professional and matured performance by the men in blue throughout the tournament. They were led fittingly by the captain in the final and ended up as the deserving winners.

Pressure of chasing

Coming to the final itself Sri Lanka won the toss and batted first. They managed to post a healthy 274 in their 50 overs due to a brilliant hundred by Jaywerdene. During the interval there were mixed feelings as to who is going to win the final. India had the best batting line up in the world they and were known for their run chasing. This was however the World Cup final and no team had chased such a big score of over 270 in the final before.

The pressure was truly on India with the massive crowd support and expectations. The pressure intensified with the loss of Sewag and Tendulkar early on. There was no fairly tale ending to the World Cup final for Tendulkar in the form of scoring his 100^th century in international cricket. It was left to the young guns in the form of Gambhir, Kohli and the captain to see India through. What followed was high class batting and showing the world that India truly deserved to win the World Cup.

Leading from the front

Dhoni had come in to bat before Yuvraj and it indeed was a big gamble. Dhoni had a highest score of 34 up to the final. He had saved the best for last and played truly a captain’s knock and one to savoir. Coupled with aggression and defense Dhoni led from the front with his brilliant batting. The former captain of Pakistan Imran Khan says that a captain’s performance is reflected in the team’s performance and a captain should always lead from the front. In the end India comfortably won by 6 wickets and became the first host country to win a World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar: A living legend

“The team has won the World Cup for Tendulkar echoed all the players of India. The Indian Players took a lap of honor for Tendulkar upon winning the World Cup. As one Indian player rightly said “Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years and it is time we carried him on our shoulders". It indeed was a dream come true for Tendulkar to win the World Cup in front of his home town in Mumbai. Before the World Cup begun Tendulkar had said his only dream was to become a part of the Indian team which wins the World Cup. This was Tendulkar’s sixth and final world cup. Yuvraj Singh who was named the player of the World Cup said that Tendulkar was the inspiration behind his performance.

Ice Cool M.S. Dhoni

In conclusion I would like to talk about the ice cool captain of India M.S. Dhoni. He has lifted this Indian team from the bottom into World beaters. He has won the twenty/ twenty World Cup for India made them the no. one team in test cricket and now through his majestic batting in the final has led India to being the World Cup Champions in one day cricket. It would be not wrong to say that Dhoni is the most successful captain of Indian cricket. As I said before, this Indian team has been totally transformed from being one which used to scumb to crowd pressures to the Kings of cricket. The one man responsible for bringing about this change in the Indian team has to be their ice cool captain M.S. Dhoni.

World Cup Cricket 2011

2011-03-31T05:06:00.000-07:00

End of the campaign for Pakistan

It is the end of the road for the Pakistan cricket team in the World Cup. Defeat to India in the semi finals signaled the end of the campaign for the green team. A loss against arch rivals India does leave a bitter taste in our mouths but the fact of the matter is that we were outplayed by a better team on the day. I will analyze the match in brief.

A War Without Weapons

Never before in a World Cup had such hype of so much magnitude been created before the match. Being a Pakistan India match emotions on both sides of the continent were running high and there was huge pressure on both the teams. The media of both the countries were having shows with cricket experts being invited to give their comments and a constant mind games were being played by the media. The match was being treated as a war without weapons which in my opinion should not be the case. A match should be treated like one and one should realize that winning and losing are part and parcel of the game.

Catches Win Matches

Coming to the match itself as someone rightfully put it “Pakistan let it slip through their fterally”. Pakistan’s fielding in the match was atrocious. There are some rules in life you cannot defy, some batsmen you really cannot give a chance to. And if you give Sachin Tendulkar four chances - not one but four! - you cannot expect to win a game, no matter what else you do. It was one of Tendulkar's least fluent recent innings as well, but in the drops of Misbah, Younis Khan - their two best catchers -Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal, went the game. It is as simple as that.

It is sad - but also predictable - that ultimately it came down to Pakistan's fielding, for that is the one area they have really worked hard on in training and actually thought about methodically, making sure for once of placing the rigeht fielders in the right places. Younger players have come in who genuinely enjoy fielding, a couple of older ones have led the way.

Expect Miracles

There were other reasons for the defeat also, which included some horrid and rash strokes played by our well set batsmen to get out. Also included is the delay in taking the batting power play and the innings played by Misbah which remains a mystery to me. Like I said it is our poor fielding which has to take the cake. If they are skilled and contrary enough to get away with it against most sides and players, to expect to do so against the game's greatest modern-day batsman, in such a setting, is to expect miracles.

India favorites

India has to be given the credit for playing so well under extreme pressure. They handled their nerves in a very positive way and came out on top. I would say this is a different and improved Indian team compared to the 87 and 96 World Cups when they lost in the semi finals due to pressure expectations of the home crowd. They have defied the pressure this time and must be favorites to win the World Cup for a second time. Their victory over Pakistan and Australia in their last two matches have really made them battle hardened with their confidence being sky high.

Beyond Expectations

In conclusion I would like to congratulate Pakistan on reaching the semi final of the World Cup when no one had given them a chance. Winning and losing is a part of the game and the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and not to repeat them again.

I saw the match at Sind Club and all the youngsters present there were wearing the Pakistani jersey and with their faces painted in green. There was a feeling of expectation and people were cheering and partying before the match began. As the match drew to it’s conclusion a look of resignation and disappointment was visible on people’s faces.

Cricket is the winner

We have shown to be united as a nation supporting our team Pakistan. I hope and pray that not only cricket unites us but political issues including our ties with India. Seeing the two Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan watch the match together was very encouraging and cricket was the ultimate winner in the end.

Roger Federer: some of his amazing records

2011-03-28T04:01:00.000-07:00

Roger Federer: Statistics

1. 1. Was the No. 1 ranked player in the world for a record 237 weeks.

2. Federer is the only male player in tennis history to win at least five consecutive titles at two different Grand Slam tournaments (2003–07 Wimbledon, 2004–08 US Open).^[5]

3. Federer is the only male player in tennis history to win the same two Grand Slam tournaments back to back for four consecutive years (2004–07 Wimbledon and US Open),^[2] surpassing the previous record of Borg for 3 consecutive years (1978-80 FO and Wimbledon)

4 . Federer's victory at the 2004 US Open marked the first time in the open era that any male had won his first four Grand Slam finals.^[6]He eventually won his first seven Grand Slam finals before losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2006 French Open final.^[7]

5 . Federer is the only male player in tennis history to win 6 Grand Slam titles in two years (2006–07), 8 in three years (2004–06, 2005–07), 11 in four years (2004–07), 12 in five years (2003–07, 2004–08), 14 in six years (2004–09), 15 in seven years (2003–09) and 16 in eight years (2003–10). 11 Grand Slam titles in four years is an all-time record, male or female.^{[citation needed]}

6. Federer's 16 Grand Slams in 8 years (2003–10) is an all time male record. Sampras won 14 Grand Slams in the span of 13 years (1990–2002).

7. By entering the final of the 2010 Australian Open, Federer has appeared in an all-time male record 22 Grand Slam finals, beating the previous record of 19 by Ivan Lendl.^[14]

8. Federer is the first male player to appear in more than 19 Grand Slam finals.

9. Federer is the only male player in tennis history to reach the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments in back to back calendar years (2006–07) and only the second in the open era to reach all four finals in a single year after Rod Laver in 1969. In 2009, Federer again appeared in all four Grand Slam finals, becoming the only male player in tennis history to achieve this feat three times in his career (2006–07, 2009).

10. Federer reached an all-time male record ten consecutive Grand Slam finals (2005 Wimbledon - 2007 US Open), breaking the previous male record of seven set by Jack Crawford in 1934 and won eight of them (except 2006 & 07 FO).^[15][16] The previous open era record was four, shared by Laver (1969) and Agassi (2000). During this streak, Federer was never runner up in two consecutive Grand Slams finals.

11. At the 2008 French Open, Federer began another streak of eight consecutive Grand Slam finals (2008 French Open - 2010 Australian Open).

12. Federer is the only male player to appear in eight consecutive Grand Slam finals twice in his career (2005 Wimbledon - 2007 U.S. Open and 2008 French Open - 2010 Australian Open).

13. Federer is the only male player in tennis history to reach at least three Grand Slam finals for four consecutive calendar years and five overall (2004, 2006–09).^[2]

14. Federer has reached an all-time record 18 finals out of 19 Grand Slam tournaments (2005 Wimbledon - 2010 Australian Open, excluding the 2008 Australian Open).^[17] and won twelve of these.

15. Federer (2003–09) is the only man in history to reach seven consecutive Wimbledon finals. During Open era, only Sampras (1993–95, 1997–2000), Becker (1985–86, 1988–90, 1991, 1995) and Federer has reached 7 Wimbledon Finals.

16. Federer is the second male player to reach seven consecutive finals at the same Grand Slam tournament (2003–09 Wimbledon), after Lendl who appeared in a record eight consecutive US Open finals (1982–89).

17. Only Federer (7 Wim & 6 USO finals), Borg (6 FO & 6 Wim finals) and Sampras (7 Wim & 8 USO finals) have appeared in 6 or more finals of two different Grand Slams.

18. During the open era, only Federer (2004–09, 6 years) have appeared in six consecutive US Open men's finals, second only to Lendl eight consecutive US Open Finals(1982–89, 8 years).

19. Federer is the only male player to reach at least six consecutive finals at two different Grand Slam tournaments (2003–09 Wimbledon, 2004–09 US Open).^[2]

20. Slam tournaments.

21. Federer is the only male player to reach the final of all four Grand Slam singles tournament at least four times.

22. Federer (2006–09) and Borg (1978–81) are the only male players to reach the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon back to back for four consecutive years.

23. Federer is the first male player to appear in the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open finals in a calendar year for four consecutive years (2006–09). Borg also reached the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open finals in a calendar year but only for three years (1978, 1980–81).

24. Federer is the first male player to appear in three consecutive Grand Slam Finals (French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) in a calendar year for four consecutive years (2006–09).

25. Federer is the first male player to appear in Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open finals in a calendar year four times in his career (2004, 2006–07, 2009).

26. Federer is the first male player to appear in back to back Wimbledon and US Open finals in a calendar year for six consecutive years (2004–09).

27. Federer is the first male player to appear in two or more Grand Slam finals in a calendar year for six consecutive years (2004–09).^{[citation needed]}

28. Federer is the first male player to appear in record 5 AO finals (2004, 2006-07, 2009-10) during open era.

29. During open era, Federer is the first male player to appear in at least 5 finals of 3 different Grand Slams (5 AO, 7 Wim & 6 USO finals).

30. Federer is the all-time male record 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals holder, (2004 Wimbledon - 2010 Australian Open) breaking the previous male record of 10 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals shared by Ivan Lendl and Rod Laver.^[19] During this streak he has lost to only five players in the majors: Juan Martín del Potro, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Marat Safin, all top 10 players at the time they defeated Federer^[20] and all went on to win the competition in which they beat him. Robin Söderling brought the run to an end with a four set win at the 2010 French Open^[21]

31. Federer has reached seven consecutive Wimbledon semifinals (2003–09), which is an all-time male record.

32. Federer is the first player to reach seven consecutive semifinals in three Grand Slams events (2004–10 AO, 2003-09 Wimbeldon and 2004-10 US Open).

33. Federer is the only male player in the open era to reach five consecutive French Open semifinals (2005–09).

1. Federer has reached eight consecutive Australian Open semifinals (2004–11), which is an open era male record, two more than Lendl (1985–91, 1986 AO was not held due to change in month from Dec to Jan).

2. Federer is the only male player in tennis history to reach at least five consecutive semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

3. Federer went 450-75(.857) in sets during his 23 consecutive Grand Slam semis streak.^[23]

34. Federer was No. 1 for 237 weeks during the first period (February 2, 2004 - August 17, 2008) and was No. 1 for 48 weeks during the second period (6 July 2009 - 6 June 2010).

35. Federer is the first player to finish the year as a top two player in the world for eight consecutive years (2003–10).

36. Federer is the first player, male or female, to rank No. 1 for 285 weeks in total in only two periods.

37. Federer has been ranked in the top two in the world for a record 347 consecutive weeks (November 17, 2003 - July 4, 2010).

38. Federer has been ranked in the top two for 372 total weeks, as of Monday 24 January, 2010. Only Pete Sampras (376 weeks) has spent more weeks in total ranked in the top two in the world.^[36][40]

39. Federer is the only man to reach all four Grand Slam finals as both the number 1 ranked player (AO '06, FO '06, W '04, USO '04) and the number 2 ranked player (AO '04, FO '09, W '09, USO '08).

40. Federer has reached a record of 27 consecutive Grand Slam quarter finals.

Prepared Speech at Toastmasters

2011-03-22T04:21:00.000-07:00

Prepared Speech

16^th March 2c011 proved to be quite a memorable day for me. It had been a normal uneventful day for me till evening and was shaping up to end the same way. As it was a Wednesday there was a Toastmaster meeting in the evening. I was going to give a prepared speech in the meeting. I was looking forward to giving it as it was on my personal experience at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. My confidence for giving a good speech was quite high.

Personal Experience

The reason being my personal experience of going and watching the tennis tournament in Dubai. The Toastmaster’s has taught me to always talk about something which you have personally experienced in life. As a result you can talk much more on the topic and can give your example regarding something unusual. I was nervous as well as excited about giving the speech. The prepared speeches began and there were 5 speakers before me. I was the last speaker and I told the President of the club that I can postpone my speech for next week, as it was getting late. Everyone was of the opinion that I should deliver my speech as I was prepared for it.

Use of Visual Aids

At the Dubai tennis championships, I had a few photographs of the championships which I intended to use as visual aids. Since being in a wheelchair restricted me in one place to show the visual aids, one of my dear friends at the Toastmasters Sameer kindly helped me in showing the visual aids to everyone. My speech went quite well and I was well prepared. The examples I gave were to the point and interesting. The speech was well received and got a good round of applause from the Toastmasters. The five prepared speeches before mine were also good and well researched.

Appreciation for my speech

The award for the best prepared speaker went to me and it really made my day. I was congratulated by all the Toastmasters and they like always really encouraged me. As I have completed 8 out of the 10 basic speeches they want me to complete them soon. They have asked me to give a speech in the next meeting also. The reason why I love The Toastmasters is because the people there make me feel welcome there. They appreciate the fact that I am on a wheelchair and make the effort of coming to the meetings.

Memorable Day

The Toastmasters has taught me a lot as how to give speeches and what is required to make them interesting. It was really pleasing to give my speech on the Dubai Tennis Championships at Toastmasters and it was well appreciated. The award was icing on the cake for me and it made my day really memorable.

My experience at the Dubai Duty Free Championships

2011-03-15T02:31:00.000-07:00

Recently I had gone to Dubai to watch the Duty Free Tennis Championships. I had gone to see my role model and favorite player Roger Federer in action. It was quite an amazing experience for me. Being in a wheelchair I was able to get special seats which were by the court side and I was accompanied by my father. We were a stone’s throw away from the players and right in the action.

Watching Federer live in action for the first time.

Last year I along with my father had also gone to the Dubai tennis championships and were able to get similar seats. Federer could not come last year due to illness. This year he was playing which made me really excited and it would just be awesome watching him live in person for the first time. I arrived in Dubai with Roger in the semi finals. It is hard to describe the feeling I had when I was going to see Roger for the first time in my life.

It was a good match and Roger was great. I was disappointed that I could not meet Roger and have a photograph with him, as he left the court from the other entrance. I hoped to be more fortunate enough in the final. I did have the consolation of having a photograph with a Russian player who went on to win the doubles title.

The Dream final

The final which everyone was anticipating between the no. 2 player in the world Roger Federer and the no. 3 player in the world Novak Djokovic was about to take place. The atmosphere was absolutely electrifying and there was a buzz in the crowd. The final was a total sell out even before the tournament had even started. Unfortunately Federer committed a lot of unforced errors and Djokovic was all over him. Djokovic played his best match of the tournament and won comfortably in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. The match was over in 75 minutes and it was very disappointing to see Federer lose.

Having a photograph with Djokovic

Federer in his post match interview admitted that he had made a mess of it in the final and Djokovic deserved to win. Federer left the court early after losing and taking a photograph was not possible. My disappointment turned into joy as I was able to get a photograph with the champion Novak Djokovic. The photograph was taken by a professional photographer and it really made my staying till the end worth it.

Unforgettable experience

It was a phenomenal experience for me to go to the Dubai tennis championships. I was able to see Federer live for the first time right in front of my eyes. The seats which me and my father got were right by the court side, since I was on a wheelchair. Watching tennis in front of your eyes is totally different from watching it on television. You are totally involved in the matches and very much a part of the atmosphere. For instance there was a Mexican wave going in the crowd in the final of which I was involved in also. You can never experience these things on television. Watching the Dubai Tennis Championships made my visit to Dubai an unforgettable one and I am already looking forward to next year’s Dubai tennis championships.

Trip to Lahore

2010-12-09T02:02:00.003-08:00

I went to Lahore in the first week of November for giving of 4 lectures. I had planned my lectures before going to Lahore. Since Lahore is my home town, I always look forward to going there and Lahore gives me relaxation and comfort.

Four lectures in Lahore

As these 4 lectures which I was due to give were planned for four consecutive days, obviously there wasn’t going to be any time for me to settle down. My first lecture was at the famous Kinnaird College for Women. It was my first lecture at a women’s College. Naturally I was feeling a bit nervous on seeing so many people in the auditorium. The Principal of the college introduced me to the audience and left the stage to me.

Getting a standing ovation at Kinnaird College

The title of my speech was “Overcoming Obstacles”. As I began my lecture gradually my nerves settled down and my confidence began to rise high. Haven given a lecture at so many institutions gave me the self-belief in my abilities and my faith in God helped me get through as always in such situations. At the conclusion of my speech I was given a standing ovation by all the women present there. The principal of Kinnaird College presented me with a Certificate of Appreciation in the end.

Learning experience

The three remaining lectures were at two branches of Beacon House School and at Lahore Grammar School. I was satisfied with all the lectures except for one which took place at Beacon House School. The reason being that the arrangements made at the school were below par and there was no teacher present there. My lecture was held in a cramped class room and there were only 15 students present there. On seeing all this I was very reluctant to give a lecture, but on the knowledge that I had come from Karachi for this purpose encouraged me to give my lecture. This was definitely a learning experience for me.

Change of Fortune for me

The next day my lecture was at another branch of Beacon House School. I cancelled my lecture as I was very unhappy with the experience I had had the previous day. After cancelling my lecture I got a number of phone calls from the school asking me to come, as all the arrangements had been finalized and everyone was waiting for me. My aunt who is at a high post at Beacon House School also asked me to go as it would not look nice. Upon her insistence I decided to go for my lecture and the arrangements were in total contrast to the other day. The Principal of the school was there to greet me along with other teachers. My lecture was held at an auditorium on the ground floor. I would have to say that really enjoyed giving the lecture in front of a very lively audience. The Principal himself listened to my lecture and a number of questions were asked by the students. Afterwards I joined the Principal along with other teachers for tea. I would say that I really enjoyed giving the lecture at Beacon House School, where I had least expected after the experience I had the previous day.

Relaxing in Lahore

After giving four lectures in four days, I was feeling very mentally very tired and decided to take it easy the remaining three days in Lahore. It was a good opportunity for me to unwind myself and enjoy the beauty of Lahore. Indeed Lahore was looking very beautiful and I also decided to take a sight seeing tour. I went to the famous Badshai Mosque, the Fort and Minar-e-Pakistan. It was a lot of fun to have a look and learn about the ancient history of the Mughal Empire. I met a few of my friends and had dinner with them.

Mission Accomplished in Lahore

In Lahore you definitely feel closer to nature with its beautiful parks everywhere. You can feel peacefulness and a feeling of relaxation in Lahore which is totally unlike Karachi. The major difference between Karachi and Lahore is the greenery in Lahore and the easy paced life. I would say that my mission had been accomplished by giving four lectures and motivating people. I look forward to giving more lectures in Lahore next year.

My experience at Kinnaird College

2010-11-12T01:15:00.000-08:00

On the 1^st of November I was to deliver my lecture at Kinnaird College. Before leaving for Lahore I had spoken to my Khala about giving a lecture. My aunt has been teaching at Kinnaird College for 31 years.

After getting the permission from the Principal, my aunt had made the arrangements and my lecture was all set for 1^st of November.

Kinnaird College is exclusively for women and one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. Giving such a lecture was indeed an honor for me.

Excellent arrangements

My lecture was scheduled for 10am which was right after the assembly.

As all girls are present at assembly, my lecture was kept right afterwards to ensure that the maximum number of girls could be present.

There was a big auditorium where I was due to speak, with the girls gradually filling the auditorium.

When I was ready to begin my lecture the auditorium was filled with girls, including the Principal, and the dean. Another relative of mine had also come with me to listen to my lecture and was also present in the auditorium. This was my first experience of speaking at a women’s college.

Having the belief in my abilities

Naturally I was feeling a bit nervous on seeing so many people in the auditorium. The Principal of the college introduced me to the audience and left the stage to me.

The title of my speech was “Overcoming Obstacles”. As I began my lecture gradually my nerves settled down and my confidence began to rise high.

Having given a lecture at so many institutions gave me the self-belief in my abilities and my faith in God helped me get through as always in such situations.

Overcoming Obstacles

I began with my life story and how I have successfully managed to overcome the 4 main obstacles in life namely Sports, Work, Social Life and my Daily Routine.

My school days and how it felt when I was transferred in a wheel chair for the first time was also described by me.

My disease known as Friedrich’s Ataxia was also defined by me and it being very rare in Pakistan.

I mentioned the 3 factors which have helped me at all times including never giving up in life, faith in God and having belief in my abilities.

The importance of getting motivated and inspiration plays an important role. Swimming giving me motivation was stressed by me and surprised a number of students and teachers as to how I was able to swim.

Roger Federer from the world of tennis being my top inspiration was described by me and his 3 qualities which make him number 1 for me. They include never giving up, always being focused and his ability to come back from impossible situations.

Getting motivation for my lectures

I could see that there was total silence in the auditorium and all the students were totally focused on listening to me. I continued saying that it is very imperative to remain positive when you are faced with a hurdle in life like I was.

I talked about an individual by the name of W. Mitchell who despite of being physically challenged has become one of the leading motivational speakers in the world. I get the motivation of giving lectures from him and seeing his quality of sharing his story with other individuals inspired me.

It is his motto in life which I try to follow and have endorsed it in my lectures. It is “It is not what happens to you it is what you do about it”.

Power of Positive thinking

Stephen Hawkins example shows the power of positive thinking illustrated in the best possible manner. Despite of being paralyzed from head to toe, what he has achieved is for the world to see.

It underlines my notion of having a positive mind set to overcome any obstacle is vital. I went on to say that it also shows that people having some sort of physical disability make more use of their inner strength and have a stronger will power.

Being determined and focused

In conclusion I talked about the importance of Overcoming Obstacles and what we need to achieve in order to overcome them.

Obstacles are not the end of the world and are character building. It helps us to grow physiologically and a person needs to be determined and have a positive mindset to overcoming them.

People who have overcome obstacles in life have made the required sacrifices needed to achieve their goals, have been totally focused and passionate in their work and have never listened to those who said It can’t be done.

I ended with a quotation “The difference between possible and impossible lies in a person’s determination”.

Getting acknowledged for my lecture

I received a standing ovation from the audience upon completion of my lecture.

There were some really interesting questions asked by the students and the teachers which demonstrate their attention on what I talked about. A lot of girls came up to me and took photographs with me.

I was given a Certificate of Appreciation, a mug and a bouquet of flowers from the Principal. Later we joined the Principal, and the Dean for tea. Also present were my relatives.

Accomplishing My goal

It is hard to describe the way I felt upon receiving a standing ovation.

The Principal of Kinnaird College said "We at Kinnaird College salute you for your courage to rise above your problems and make a difference in not only your life but the lives of other people."

All I can say is that my goal of motivating people in having a positive mind set has been successfully implemented. This was definitely one of most memorable lectures I have had.

Fight against all Odds

2010-10-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone in life has got obstacles to overcome be it mental or physical. In order to achieve something in life, you have to fight against all odds, get out of your comfort zone, have a positive frame of mind and be focused. This involves taking risks and doing a lot of experiments in life. People who have succeeded in life have never given up and in no way let failures prevent them from what they wanted to achieve.

Accepting the Various Complexities of Life

In order for this to happen we do have to accept the various complexities of life. We have to learn to live life to the fullest and enjoy it. As you know that life only comes once and one should try to make the most out of it. There is no reason to feel frustrated or down about something, because you do not achieve anything through it. In my opinion the two things which play a crucial role in one’s life are positive thinking and self determination. It is very important in life to be able to struggle for something even though you may not succeed. Just the ability to struggle shows the qualities of a person, whether he gives up easily in life or he is willing to fight it out. There are countless examples of people who have been a failure in their youth, but have never given up and have gone on to become the most famous people in history.

Never give up in Life

I am talking about Thomas Edison the inventor of the light bulb, motion camera being among his many inventions. He did not have much success at school. The teachers used to refer him as being confused or mixed up. He also had hearing problems at an early age, but that did not stop him from becoming one of the most famous inventors. He also founded General Electric one the most publically traded company in the world. Similar is the case with Sir Isaac Newton said to be one of the most influential person in human history. He was thrown out of school at an early age only asked to return to school to complete his education. He later went on to become a English physic, mathematician etc and his law of Gravity being one of the top most discoveries in the world. The point I am trying to make is that one should never give up in life and always have a positive frame of mind. These two examples clearly illustrate and define these qualities.

Will Power

I will talk about people who have some sort of disability or having some type of disease, excelled in life through their immense will power and never say die attitude. The one name which immediately comes to my mind is Stephen Hawking. Hawking has a neuro-muscular dystrophy a condition which has progressed over the years and left him totally paralyzed. Despite of all these limitations what he has achieved is for the world to see. Being a famous British professor at Cambridge and excelling in the fields of cosmology, physics and mathematics. Also being the author of many best sellers including a Brief History of Time. He has travelled all over the world giving lectures and is the recipient of many famous medals including The Presidential Medal of Freedom which he received from President Obama in 2009. In 2007 Professor Hawking took a zero gravity flight in space becoming the first quadriplegic to travel in space. He showed the world what can be achieved in life in spite of his being paralyzed. This clearly defines positive thinking.

Inner Strength

I have always felt that people who have some sort of disability tend to make more use of their inner strength which leads them to do improbable things. As we saw Stephen Hawking accepted the way he was and decided to fight life on his own terms. He was never afraid to run away from his problems and the rest is history as they say. There is one more individual I would like to mention W. Mitchell a motivational speaker and author of many books. 65% of his body was burnt by a fiery motor cycle accident and an airplane crash later took away his ability to walk. He also very easily could have given up and accepted life as it was, but he also fought his way to success. “It is not what happens to you It is what you do about it” is his slogan and what he tells people to do.

Positive Mindset

It is very important to have a positive mindset when you are faced with an obstacle. I can simply go on and on about how people having disabilities have overcome all obstacles through determination and having a positive mindset. When you have two such inspiring stories in front of you, it becomes easier to try to follow in their footsteps. I would like to briefly talk about the problems I have faced. Being diagnosed with Friedrich’s Ataxia at the age of 12 and being transferred into a wheel chair at 20 resulted in all my dreams being shattered. It naturally was a very frustrating time for me. Seeing a wheel chair for the first time was not something I had dreamt about and I was told I will never be able to walk again. This wheel chair felt like a prison for me in the beginning, preventing me from what I wanted to do and confining me where I wanted to go.

Ability to Struggle

Like all my role models whose examples are given above I decided to fight, never give up and have a positive frame of mind. I succeeded in becoming a motivational speaker and my inspiration came from W. Mitchell. Like Mitchell I wanted to share my story with other individuals and my slogan is the same as Mitchell’s “It is not what happens to you it is what you do about it”. I wanted to tell the world who I am and not run away from my problems. It does require a lot of hard work and patience. I would say that I do not have any regrets in life and having Friedrich’s Ataxia instilled in me a stronger will power and the ability to struggle in life at all times.

Face up to Life

My message to all people out there and particularly the youth out there would be to always have a positive mind set and the courage to face up to life and its problems. One should always be what they are and not be afraid to admit their short comings. Pretending someone who you not are will always bring failure to you. The three qualities which have helped me overcome obstacles are 1. never give up in life 2. have faith in God 3. believing in your abilities. If you are able to achieve these qualities, I am sure you will be successful in life.

My Lecture at Indus Valley School

2010-10-05T03:27:00.001-07:00

Topic of my Lecture

On the 29^th of September 2010 I had my lecture at Indus Valley School. It was organized by the Students Council. I was asked to speak about my disability and how I have overcome all the difficulties. My topic was titled “Overcoming Obstacles”. I highlighted my life and how my life has been in a wheelchair. It included my overcoming all kinds of Obstacles despite being physically challenged. In conclusion I touched on the topic of accessibility and how we need to make Pakistan more wheel chair friendly.

Excellent Arrangements

The arrangements made at Indus Valley for my lecture were excellent. There was a stage made at the ground floor and they had arranged ramps where ever there was a steep step. I recall having gone to Indus Valley School before to meet someone and it was not wheel chair friendly at all. My chair had to be lifted to the first floor. This was the reason for my being apprehensive before my lecture at Indus Valley. Indeed it was such a pleasant surprise for me on seeing all the wheel chair friendly arrangements.

Thoughtful Students

It indeed was a large audience of around 150 to 200 students. The best part was that all of them were listening very attentively during the course of my lecture. I was using a collar mike for speaking as to make sure I was understood by everyone listening. The questions which were asked were appealing and showed the interest by the students in my lecture. The students showed a lot of awareness on the subject of accessibility and were willing to do something to improve the standard of accessibility in the country.

Getting Recognition for my Lecture

I was awarded with a gift as a token of appreciation by the student’s council. I took a couple of photographs with the student’s council. After my lecture had finished students came up to me and thanked me for my lecture, as well as showing their interest on the topic of accessibility.

I would say that the arrangements made for my lecture were one of the best combined with a very knowledgeable audience. I always enjoy giving lectures at places where the students show their attention. It was a great experience at Indus Valley School for me.

How Accessible Karachi is

2010-09-20T03:46:00.000-07:00

Asad Rafi: An Accessible Karachi

Pakistan is not very friendly to the wheelchair-bound people, as physically challenged people need to socialize freely. Asad Rafi says there is a need to improve their accessibility by changing the mindsets, changes which are required at hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, educational institutes and even at clinics as most of these places almost never have ramps that would allow such people to enter their premises. He further emphasizes that laws are needed to bound builders and commercial shops and businesses to facilitate wheelchair bound people. 10% of our total population consists of people who are cooping with disabilities but they are almost never seen around because usually they are kept confined to their houses as they cant get on a cab, or board a bus on their own, they cant even enter any restaurant or park without someone’s help. They feel like they are not welcome in society. We should facilitate for them, we should keep them under consideration when building parks or clubs so they can socialize and do some of their daily tasks independently.

An Accessible Karachi

Karachi being my home city, I have got used to facing all types of challenges but at times it can be very frustrating and annoying. I have become a motivational speaker now and visit various schools, universities and corporate offices for giving lectures. I can tell you from first-hand experience that getting to these venues is no easy task! I recall going to one of the leading business schools of Karachi to deliver a lecture. On arriving there I found out that there was no ramp or lift available. My lecture was on the 2nd floor and my chair had to be lifted by helpers. To say the least, this was not an enjoyable experience for me. During my lecture I made sure to emphasize the point that the building was not wheelchair friendly. Now, I always make sure to find out that the building where I will be giving my lecture is wheelchair friendly.

Similarly I face problems when going to restaurants that have stairs and do not cater for physically challenged people. My chair has to be lifted at such restaurants, which is quite a nerve wrecking experience. Once I remember being invited for dinner at a restaurant that was in a basement. As there was no lift, I refused to go there. Similarly, it was impossible for me to go to a leading café in Karachi because of the non-availability of a lift and I missed out on all the fun. I can also talk about the leading cinemas of Karachi as not all cater for the physically challenged. It requires great effort and determination from people in wheelchairs to go anywhere. We can also not rule out the risk of injury physically challenged people can have while their wheelchair is being lifted or carried.

These in my opinion would be the main reasons why we do not see people with disabilities in public places. One important thing which I forgot to mention is the lack of toilets, for the disabled, at public places. At the leading hotels in Karachi we do not find a wheelchair friendly toilet, which causes a lot of discomfort for me. I am lucky to own a car and have helpers with me to take me to all kinds of places. What about disabled people who don’t have this help?

Indeed, lives of average disabled people who cannot afford the luxuries of life are definitely affected by their inability to go to places that are not wheelchair friendly. Another thing I have noticed is that people tend to stare at a person in a wheelchair when he goes out in public. This makes the person in the wheelchair feel very unwelcome as if they are not a part of society.

On the other hand when I travel to England it is totally wheelchair friendly and I do not have to think about this problem at all. All of their public transport including buses and taxis having ramps thus making it easy for the physically challenged people to travel in them. I can go on and on with the various advantages their shops, cinemas and restaurants have as they cater fully for people with all types of disabilities.I feel that the main difference between England and Pakistan is the attitude of the people and the way they think about physically challenged people and how they show their feelings. People in England appear to be very caring and more humane in every way. In Pakistan, like I wrote earlier, people tend to stare at you. Although I do feel that people have started to understand the rights of the disabled society of Pakistan.

The basis of the lectures I give is to help make Karachi into a wheelchair friendly place. We need to make wheelchair ramps at restaurants, shopping malls, cinemas, hospitals and the list goes on. As most of the outlets have a flight of steep high stairs for accessibility and almost all the physically disabled people couldn’t reach these outlets in a wheel chair, walker, or crutches, this is a Social/Legal Discrimination of the Physically Disabled People.

Right now, individuals in wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches are restricted to a few outlets which are accessible. If there were universal standards for things such as at least one ground level entrance, a usable bathroom for the physically disabled, trained assistances to help them enter the outlet, and wider doorways, people with wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches will no longer be shut out as potential customers. We need to construct an accessibility and a Disabled friendly bathroom in their concern premises for barrier free accessibility for the Disabled Community.

In my opinion the most important factor would be to change the mindsets of people in recognizing the disabled community as a part of society and not be neglected as people who are unable of accomplishing anything. They deserve the right to enjoy life and live on their terms. They should be allowed to work in offices, so that they are able to show what they are capable of achieving.

The way forward:

In order to make Karachi accessible we need to provide wheel chair ramps, lifts and make wheel chair friendly bathrooms. Physically challenged people need access to mix with all segments of the society. There should be a provision for making ramps at all public places including restaurants, cinemas, shopping malls, offices and hospitals. Ramps would be beneficial not only for physically challenged people but also for older people. We can do a favour to all physically challenged people, if we can tell the owner of a restaurant when we go for lunch or dinner to provide ramps. This would do a world of good to people in wheel chairs.

We definitely need to change the mindsets of people as mentioned by me earlier. We would need to contact architects and the builders. There should be laws for builders before constructing a building to provide access to physically challenged people. Ramps need to be constructed and parking places for wheelchairs needs to be provided. A lot needs to be done if we are to compete with the West. Over the past couple of years, I have seen an improvement in the attitude of people towards people in wheel chairs. I feel progress in Karachi towards physically challenged people is being made in the right direction.w

My Presentation at Beacon House School (North Nazimabad Branch)

2010-08-17T01:52:00.000-07:00

My second session of the Move Workshop took place on the 11^th of August at the North Nazimabad branch of Beacon House School. This time it took place in the morning. There was a lot of firing going on in N.Nazimabad prior to my presentation. I was a bit apprehensive but thank God my session was completed without any problem.

Reserved Students

The classroom in which I had my session was much bigger compared to the one at the Gulshan Branch which was a bit cramped for space. The same format followed as the previous day which included having a question and answer session. It went well and I was satisfied with it. Although I find the students to be reserved and quiet, in comparison to the students at Gulshan Branch who were more talkative and interested? It could have been that the students were a bit shy and possibly afraid to ask questions seeing me on a wheelchair

Invited by the Principal

After finishing my presentation me and my friends from FESF (Family Services Educational Foundation) were asked to join the principal for tea. The principal was very nice, asking me a number of questions including as to how my presentation went. We did have a good discussion and it was very kind of her to call us.

Getting Experience

I would say that both the workshops were quite satisfying. The change in the Move workshops was effective and very encouraging. Changes are always good and it is always nice to have some experimentation. It was a very good experience for me giving a presentation at schools in Gulshan and Nazimabad for the first time. I look forward to taking part in Move Workshops in the future.

My Presentation at Beacon House School (Gulshan Branch)

2010-08-17T00:39:00.000-07:00

The Move Workshops which are organized by Family Educational Services Foundation took place at Beacon House School (Gulshan-e-Iqbal Branch) and at the (North Nazimabad Branch) last week. After a gap of 3 to 4 months I was giving a presentation and was looking forward to it.
Let me talk about my experience at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Branch first. It took place on the 10th of August 2010 in the afternoon. This time round there was a change in my presentation. After giving a brief introduction of mine, I was involved in a Question and Answer session which I found very interesting.

Interesting Questions

The questions were in regards to how I got used to living in a wheelchair, and the difficulties and challenges faced by me. The questions also included as to how this disease has had a positive effect on my life. They questioned about how I see my future and in conclusion as to how I would like to change the country to better accommodate people with disabilities. It really was a very interesting session and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Attentive Students
I found the students to be very attentively listening to the interview, which was visible by the interesting questions they asked. They asked me as to how I feel when someone is rude to me and who supported me the most during my struggle. I do like students who ask questions, which gives you the impression that they really are interested in what you are saying. Majority of the students at the end of my session came to me thanked me and shook my hand. At the end the students took a group photograph with me.

Pulling it all together

2010-08-08T00:42:00.000-07:00

Effect of Friedrich’s Ataxia
I have Ataxia. There are various types of Ataxia and the one affecting me is known as Friedrich’s Ataxia. F.A. is a rare neurological disorder that has an effect on the speech, balance and coordination. It is an inherited genetic disease and people with F .A. need support to walk or get around, from e.g. a stick, scooter or wheelchair.

Remaining active
In my fight against F.A. it has been very important for me to stay active and exercise on a regular basis. My exercises include swimming, going to the gym and physiotherapy. Lately when I visited the doctors in London, they told me the importance of having physiotherapy. My legs used to get stiff and having physiotherapy was the cure. Although swimming does help legs becoming less stiff but physiotherapy would be ideal. I did start walking in the past but due to my legs weakening I could not continue with it.I inshallah will resume my walking again once I feel my legs are strong enough. To be able to walk again and do so without any discomfort is my ultimate goal.

Always being Positive in Life
There are times when I do feel low and frustrated. The general fact of being unable to do anything without someone helping me, not being able to play outdoor sports, like tennis or cricket, and being unable to dance or go for a drive on my own were getting me down.
After feeling frustrated and negative for a while it dawned on me, that it was time for me to remind myself that my advantages definitely outweigh my disadvantages. After all , what I had learned most since being diagnosed with Ataxia was to have a lot of will power, to keep a positive attitude and remember that God always compensates things. So I started to compare myself positively to others who were less fortunate than me.

Affording the luxuries of life
The fact that despite being confined to a wheelchair, I was able to achieve things that many people who are able to get around normally never have, gives me a sense of achievement. For example, I am able to swim very well, something which many non-handicapped are unable to do. My circumstances are also so much better than countless other people out there. I am able to afford many luxuries in life which many are not blessed with and I thank God for that.

Having fun in life
I am a member of the prestigious Sind Club in Karachi. It is an exclusive club and I am fortunate to become a member. Sind Club is I would say my second home, as I go for swimming and also go to the gym. Their food is also very good and I do tend to take home different varieties of their eatables. Plus Sind Club has a number of social parties like dinner and dance balls, parties etc. So having all these benefits, it is hard to imagine my life without Sind Club. Having close and caring friends is also a blessing that many people do not enjoy.

Being focused in life
Above all the thing that has helped me the most has been my faith in God and my communicating with him. So counting my blessings and remembering what I have been able to do and achieve in life despite my handicap once again helped me rise above the feelings of frustration and depression. My handicap has taught me how to be happy and contend in life. We only live once and we should try to make the most of it. The ability to struggle for something, even though we may never achieve it, is of foremost importance. This has been my main focus in life, along with always looking at the positive side of things.
In conclusion, here is a saying that has helped me tremendously:
“ If you put your mind to something, hold onto your faith and inner strength and just stay focused, you can accomplish anything”.

My experience at the Toastmasters Club

2010-08-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations.

Headquartered in California, the organization has more than 260,000 members in over 12,500 clubs in 113 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience.

How Toastmasters has helped me

I have been a member of the Karachi Toastmasters Club for almost 3 years now. Joining the toastmasters club was the best thing that could have happened to me, as being a motivational speaker the toastmasters has helped me improve my speaking skills by leaps and bounds. It has given me the confidence to speak in public anywhere. It makes me happy to know that I am the only one on a wheelchair in the club and get a lot of appreciation from other people. I am really made feel welcome there which gives me the inspiration to go there every week.

Toastmasters divided into 3 phases

The toastmasters meeting last about a couple of hours. They are divided into three phases. The first phase is known as the table topics, where a member asks various questions from other members and guests. You have to speak on any given topic for two and a half minutes. Normally there is a theme for the table topics and all the questions are related to the theme. The second phase consists of prepared speeches where four to five speakers prepare a speech and talk. The last phase in my opinion is the most critical one which is known as evaluation. Everyone who speaks is evaluated and you get to know what you are doing right and wrong. The evaluator evaluates your body language and the eye contact. He also tells you the areas in which you need to improve.

Different roles played by members

Along with the table topic master which refers to the member who is asking questions, there is a grammarian, an ah-counter, a timer and a member who gives the word of the day. The grammarian highlights the grammatical mistakes made in a speech, while an ah-counter counts the number of various a-h's used in a speech. While the timer times the various speeches as well as the evaluators and the word of the day is to be used in the speeches as much as possible. All these roles are fulfilled by various members and they all play an important part in the meeting.

Visiting a Toastmasters Club in London

I was in London recently and was fortunate enough to visit a Toastmasters Club. It was known as the Grosvenor Square Speakers Toastmasters Club in London. It is the oldest toastmasters club in London. I attended a couple of their meetings and was given a very warm welcome by their President as well as their members. I was present at the transfer of power meeting where
the current President’s term comes to an end and gives the charge to the newly elected
President. It marks the beginning of a new year for the newly elected President. A President’s term in the toastmasters club is for one year.

Giving a speech at London Toastmasters Club

It was a great experience for me to attend a meeting in London and have learnt a lot from the meeting. It was the first time I had attended a toastmaster meeting outside Karachi. I was persuaded to give a speech by the President of the Club. I spoke for three minutes on my experience at the Toastmasters Club. The speech went well and the feedback I received was very encouraging. The applause received at the end of my speech made it truly a memorable moment and I will remember it for the rest of my life. This was also the first time I had given a speech in London. The President asked me to visit the club the next time I am in London.

Why one should join The Toastmasters Club

The Toastmasters Club is very beneficial for anyone wanting to become a public speaker. It also helps you improve The Toastmasters Club is very beneficial for anyone wanting to become a public speaker. There is also the opportunity to meet new people and share new ideas with with them. It indeed is a great platform for learning various things about speaking, communicating and listening. Also the fact that since the club is present almost all over the world, enabling anyone to join the Toastmasters Club.

My experience at Agha Khan Hospital

2010-06-15T02:58:00.001-07:00

My experience at Agha Khan Hospital

It was my first experience of staying in a hospital in Pakistan. It was an unforgettable experience and one that I will never forget for the rest of my life. Let me tell you about my experience.

Being Hospitalized

It was during the month of May, when I realized that I had trouble breathing and was wheezing a lot. I was wheezing a lot while I had something to eat and my heart rate was very high. I along with my parents were asked to see a cardiologist by the name of Dr Fahim Jafri at Agha Khan hospital. Upon seeing me and that my heart rate had risen, he asked me to be hospitalized to monitor my condition. It was obviously very frustrating to stay in the hospital, but I realized it was for my benefit so that things do not worsen.

Testing time in the Hospital

It was a very tough and a testing time in the hospital for me. As my room was in the cardiac ward, there was no television allowed there which made it very tough for me. All the time the medical staff was coming to give me medication and do various tests on me. I remember being woken up at 5 in the morning for giving a blood test and ECG for the heart. In the morning the staff cleaned and changed me. I was wearing an oxygen wire and another machine was attached to me to monitor my heart rate and blood pressure. A lot of medication was being given to me in order to stabilize my heart rate. The whole day I just stared at the walls, killing time. It was very difficult for me to read also in my given situation. I did have visitors in the evening, including some of my friends. The visiting hours were in the evening and only one person was allowed in the room. My mother stayed with me during the day and my khala came in the evening. During the night a helper of mine stayed with me.

Benefit of being in the Hospital

Just lying in the bed all the time also took its toll on me and my legs became totally stiff. I hardly felt hungry in the hospital environment. I guess the advantage of being in the hospital was that there was peace and quietness in my room which was very essential and important for me. Dr Jafri also visited me a couple of times during the day and after four days he told me that I could be discharged the following day. For the last two days I had started having physiotherapy which made my legs feel a lot better and I could also get down from the bed and sit in my chair which was a big relief for me. After spending five days in the hospital, I was a relieved and happy person to be going home. Little did I realize that after 2 weeks I would be back at the hospital.

Hospitalized for the second time

It was just after a couple of weeks that upon having my heart rate checked which was quite low, I was taken to Agha Khan hospital at Clifton for an ECG. Upon having the ECG, Dr Jafri asked the doctors to have me hospitalized again. I was taken in an ambulance, lying on a stretcher in a state of emergency to the main Agha Khan hospital and was feeling quite terrified. It was for the first time in my life that I had gone in an ambulance. After two days of monitoring of the heart, it was due to the excessive take of medication that resulted in my heart rate being low. Dr Jafri had already suspected that and he asked the staff to stop my medication. Upon stopping the medication my heart rate had stabilized which was very good and encouraging news. On the third day I was discharged and hoped and prayed that I would never have to be hospitalized again.

Dr Fahim Jafri an excellent doctor

So it was quite an experience staying in the hospital twice for a total of 8 days. I guess there were some benefits of staying in the hospital which included having 24 hour monitoring and taken very good care by the medical staff. As I have mentioned having total quietness in my room which allowed me to rest properly. I would like to make a special mention of Dr Fahim Jafri. I found him to be an excellent doctor who took great care of me. He used to be very relaxed when he came to examine me, which gave me a great deal of comfort. All the medication he has given me has suited me fully and has been instrumental in my heart being normal again by the grace of God.

Loss of weight was a blessing in disguise for me

I would have to say that I have never had so many blood tests and taken so much medication in my life. The biggest blessing in disguise resulting from my illness was the loss of weight. I had lost 15 pounds during my illness, which was very good news for me. The reason being that I was going to England later in June and it was important for me to be as light as possible. Due to God’s blessing I have been able to recover in time for my trip to England which I am really looking forward to.

Lessons learnt from my ordeal

My parents also had to go through a lot of stress and were worried about me. It was their never ending support and caring attitude which helped me tremendously during my ordeal. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone including my friends who prayed for me and came to see me during my illness. The lesson I have learnt from this episode of mine is to remain cool and calm in all situations and never to lose my temper. I do still go for my check up to Dr Jafri and he is very pleased to see me. My heart rate by the grace of God has stabilized now and I am looking forward to my vacation in England. Indeed it was the toughest and most testing time I have been through in my life. Thank God all is well now and it is all behind me now.

How Sports Idols Inspire Me

2010-03-12T02:34:00.000-08:00

Sports has been my first love and without it my life would be without color. I guess it runs in my family, as my grandfather, father and uncle all have been sport loving people. It would be the motivation and commitment shown by sportsmen in their respective fields which in turn would ultimately make me never to give up in life and always be highly motivated.

Love for Sports began at Aitchison

Ever since I was in school I used to love all kinds of sports including cricket, tennis, football, swimming etc. When I went to Aitchison College in Lahore the sporting facilities over there were considered to be the best in the country. Their cricket and hockey fields were very picturesque and were second to none.

I started playing sports from my Aitchison days and was very active playing cricket, tennis, table-tennis and swimming. This was before I became wheelchair bound. So I would say from Aitchison my love for sports started.

My Sporting Limitations

Coming from Aitchison to Karachi Grammar School was quite a change regarding the sporting facilities. KGS is well known for it’s education and is limited in providing sports facilities This led to my being less active in all kinds of sports apart from swimming. I do swim very regularly till the present day and get a lot of motivation from swimming.

Another reason for my being less active would be because I had to wear a brace due to a curve in my spine and this helped the curve from deteriorating. The brace confined my movements and thus could not run around freely. Following cricket matches on television or radio had become a passion and it would also result in my bunking classes to get to know the latest score. Shortly after the end of my schooling days, I came to know that a wheelchair would be my new companion and it was then that sports took a new meaning for me in my life.

Imran Khan: A Dynamic Captain always leading from the Front

Having sporting idols has always been something which has been so exciting and which has always helped me in maintaining my love for sports. Imran Khan would become my first sporting idol in cricket. Following his superlative performances and always egging him on, no matter how difficult the situation was, showed how much he meant to me at that time. He went on to become the captain of the Pakistan cricket team and my support for him was never ending.

I remember when the 1987 World Cup Cricket was played in Pakistan the atmosphere was absolutely electric. On the day we were playing the semi-final against Australia in Lahore everyone knew that we were going to win. I had gone specially for the match to Lahore and was present in the stadium. In the morning from the atmosphere of a party filled with noise and non stop cheering had transformed into a hush of silence. Being there at the stadium it felt like someone had died after our defeat and as if we had come to for the mourning. There were tears in everyone’s eyes including mine and I can safely say that any sporting event has not had such an emotional effect on me.

Imran announced his retirement from cricket after the 87 World Cup, after which he was persuaded by the then President of Pakistan Zia-ul-Haq to take back his retirement. Pakistan went on to win the 1992 World Cup under Imran’s dynamic leadership. He led from the front and his ability of never to give up even when faced with a daunting task always gave me the hope to be positive and believe in my abilities. I also met Imran a couple of times and he also came to my house. Imran was a very dominant figure in cricket and will always due to his unrelenting attitude have a special place in my heart.

Ivan Lendl & Pistol Pete

Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras have remained my sporting idols in tennis for quite a while and I have learned a lot of my fighting qualities from them. Especially it would have to be Sampras who was the one who pioneered my love for tennis. I used to love watching him crush opponents with his famous slam dunk jump.

Pistol Pete would become his nickname for his thunderous serve. He was the most complete player on grass and went on to win 6 Wimbledon titles. It was during his last Wimbledon did he go on to lose to a guy named Roger Federer who I was cursing at that time. Little did I realize that Federer would go on to become my greatest sporting idol.

Roger Federer, my Greatest Sporting Idol

When Roger plays the world comes to a stop and everything else happening around me is immaterial. My focus and attention is centered towards Federer winning his match. No matter what time his match is coming on television I have to see it be it 4 in the morning. Even when his matches are not telecast live, the first thing I have to do is to check the score on the internet. He is the most complete tennis player to have played the game and his record speaks for itself.

My sporting wardrobe has to resemble his and try to get all the tee-shirts Federer wears somehow or the other. His posters and official calendar are hanging on my wall. My prayers are always with him and even when he is in a difficult position, I know that he will win. His ability to remain positive in all situations and never to give up has benefited me the most in my struggle in life.

So as you can see for me sporting icons make my life interesting and always something to look forward to. Watching them in action arouses in me the spirit of being competitive at all times. My motivation in talks at times comes from watching my sporting heroes in action. Whenever I am faced with a difficult situation in life, my mind always goes to my sporting heroe as to what Roger would do.

Here is a quotation which all sports people try to follow:

“ Let’s not limit our challenges, instead, let’s challenge our limits!”

Physical Fitness leads to Better Health

2010-03-10T02:48:00.000-08:00

Regular exercise can provide the basis for good health and wellness. The health, fitness, and medical experts now regard exercise, practiced on a regular basis, as essential for achieving and maintaining good health. Being physically fit does not guarantee you health.

However. exercise is an essential component of good health.Exercise is the basis for living a full life. It will help you bring your body, mind and spirit into action. The effort it takes for you to be physically fit will help you to discover the individual within yourself. I will come back to the importance of being physically fit. Let me tell you the change physical activity has had on my life.

Being Active despite being Physically Challenged

Firstly it is very important to be active when you are physically challenged for example being in a wheelchair like I am. My activities include going to the gym, swimming and physiotherapy. The enjoyment I get from them is enormous and they help me to a great extent in getting motivated.

Nothing makes me more excited than having a good swim, which gives me a sense of achievement. As mentioned previously by me, when I see non-handicapped people unable to swim and comparatively I see myself being able to swim without any discomfort, despite of having a disability makes me feel very satisfied and motivation.

As motivation comes from setting of goals and is that aspect of having goals which makes exercise so much more fun and enjoyable for me. Some of the goals include setting a certain number of laps to be done on the day while swimming, doing a certain number of weights or doing a particular number of rounds in walking.

Losing Weight and getting Lighter

The most important goal for me while exercising is to lose weight and become lighter. The lighter I am the easier it will be for other people to handle me. It will be most beneficial for me when I go on vacations, as it will become easier for my parents to handle me with ease.

Losing weight on the whole does have an effect one’s lifestyle to quite an extent which is particularly good and advantageous for me. Putting on weight is very easy and losing weight on the other hand is quite a tough task. We can see in Pakistan the importance of doing some sort of exercise is not considered a must.

People going to the office tend to spend long hours at work and keep sitting at their desks till late in the evening. They get tired and mentally exhausted for any physical activity and tend to forgo it. We also see people sitting at home becoming couch potatoes while, watching movies tending to munch on something like popcorn or candies. This in turn easily leads to an increase in weight which can result in having some sort of heart disease.

People are getting more Health Conscious in Pakistan

It is very important to include some sort of physical activity in your daily routine. Even though one may exercise for only 15 minutes in a day, it will help you to feel good about yourself. Majority of the people going to office complain of not having time as their main excuse. I firmly believe that for exercise one has to find the time, just as you do for having lunch.

More and More People Realise the Importance of Fitness

Over the years I have seen an increase in the number of people coming to the gym in Sindh Club. This is definitely a good sign to see more people exercising in Pakistan, which also means that people are becoming more health conscious. It may be also due to watching fitness programs on television that enable people to get inspired to exercise more.Let me get back to some of the advantages of fitness.

Exercise and Live Longer

A minimal amount of exercise tends to lower the risk of premature death from heart disease, cancer and other health-related causes. Moderate exercise seems to be adequate for helping you to live longer and live life at your fullest potential. But, being physically fit is more important than striving to live longer. Being physically fit is striving to live better. People exercise to maintain good physical appearance, have more energy to carry out daily tasks, sleep better, be able to eat nutritious foods without worrying about weight gain, improve their performance in a favorite sport or pastime, and, enjoy the feeling of being physically fit and possessing good health.

Live Everyday to Your Fullest Capacity

Physical fitness is not getting by in life, it is about living every day to your fullest capacity. This goal is within the reach of anyone who educates themselves regarding fitness. Fitness exercise is for everyone. If you’ve had unhappy experiences in athletics or physical education in the past, take heart. Not having the ability to be a great athlete isn’t what is important, reaching a point where you become the best YOU can be, is.

Motivation is important in Exercise

We can see that maintaining physical fitness in your body is of critical necessity in your life. You can definitely enjoy life to it’s fullest by keeping fit. It will include some sacrifices, but you cannot achieve anything in life by not giving up something. It may be tough in the beginning, but the results in the end will show you how much worth your effort was.

Exercise and Motivation

I have also realized that motivation does play a big role in exercising. We need to set goals before we start our exercise, and that way we will enjoy what we are doing and will not consider it a burden. Always remember that fir people tend to feel good about themselves.

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.John F. Kennedy.

My visit to Dubai

2010-03-05T02:20:00.000-08:00

My recent visit to Dubai consisted of 4 days and was memorable for a number of reasons. The reason which was of utmost importance to me was the fact that Dubai was totally wheelchair friendly and there were wheelchair ramps everywhere. Life was made so easy in Dubai by having so many wheelchair ramps. This point proved that there was great awareness and a feeling of security in Dubai. Let me elaborate on it further.

Heart warming Services in Dubai

I had visited Dubai after a gap of 2 years and found it so welcoming. The hotel in which we were staying consisted of excellent service. The porters were so hospitable and I got quite friendly with them. As soon as you entered the hotel there was a wheelchair ramp which again showed the level of concern they had for wheelchair bound people. Before leaving for Dubai we had asked the hotel to provide us with a helper to help me get dressed in the morning and also to provide a car which had a wheelchair ramp. When we arrived at Dubai airport, the van with the wheelchair ramp was waiting for me. Similarly when we got to the hotel, the helper was waiting. We asked for one more helper to come in the morning to make it easier. The helpers are known as nurses as they used to come from the hospital. The two male nurses used to come at 11 in the morning and used to leave around 1 after they had helped me to take a shower and get dressed. The nurses were from Philippines and were very pleasant. I became very friendly with them, took photographs with them and also exchanged emails with each other.

Having friends makes my stay enjoyable in Dubai

One of the reasons why I look forward to visiting Dubai is due to the number of friends I have there. I have around 6 to 7 friends there and meeting them always makes my stay very exciting and interesting. The day I arrived in Dubai, one of my old and very close friend came over to the hotel. Another friend of mine from my IBM days also came and we had dinner. Later on we went to see the movie Avatar in 3D which was phenomenal. It was my first experience of watching a movie in 3D, in which you had to wear special glasses. It was a unforgettable experience and had great fun with Najib and Shahid.

Watching movies an Enlightening Experience

Watching movies in Dubai is one of the easiest and most comfortable thing to do. Unlike Pakistan where wheelchair bound people have to think twice before going to watch a movie, it is a totally different scene in Dubai. Wheelchair ramps are seen leading to cinemas and the place to park wheelchairs was right in front of the cinema screen. There are around 15 cinema screens located at one place in a shopping mall. As you can see how easy it is for a physically challenged person to watch a movie at a cinema in Dubai, which is a far cry from Pakistan. It also shows how handicapped people are considered to be part of the society.

Federer's With drawl from the Barclay's Tennis Tournament

My other friends also used to come at the hotel to meet me while I was there and it made my stay interesting. One of the main reasons for my visiting Dubai was because a tennis tournament being played in Dubai and my role model Roger Federer was going to take part. The tournament was being sponsored by Barclay's and one of my friend worked for Barclay's in Dubai. He told me that he would definitely try his best for me to meet Federer. I was really very excited and had high hopes of meeting Federer which had always been my dream. Unfortunately on the eve of the tournament came the news that Federer had withdrawn from the tournament due to a lung infection. It was indeed a big setback for me. My friend Adil had gone out of his way to have special passes made for me and my father. He told us that even if Federer had pulled out, we must come to see the matches as it will be great fun.

Unforgettable experience at the Barclay's Tennis Tournament

The next day after we arrived in Dubai, Adil came over at the hotel to drop the passes for the semifinals and the finals. This was going to be my first experience of watching a tennis tournament live from the stadium itself. What a treat I was in for when me and my dad arrived at the stadium. Our seats were right at the court side and the players were within touching distance of us. The view from our seats was brilliant and you got a feel of the atmosphere during the match. Our seats were specifically for wheelchair bound people and one the day of the finals there were 2 to 3 people sitting there, along with their helpers. The match was heading for an exciting climax when rain intervened and play had to be postponed to the next day. I and my dad had quite an experience of the rain in Dubai, as we were totally drenched with water while we were waiting for our van. So I ended up getting an experience of the rain as well as of the tennis which was unforgettable. One thing is for sure that I am definitely looking forward to going there next year and hopefully Federer will also play.

Memorable visit to Dubai

As you can see my visit to Dubai was indeed very enjoyable and memorable due to the reasons mentioned by me. The one thing which stands out among all others is the number of wheelchair bound people seen at public places was staggering compared to Pakistan. The reason being that handicapped people being accepted as part of the society and the government's intervention on providing strict rules. I have visited Dubai after 2 years and there has been a marked difference in the facilities provided to handicapped people. One can easily compare Dubai to the west in this regard. This is something from which Pakistan can learn on how to make living in Pakistan more accessible for all kinds of handicapped people.

Disability is not an Inability

2010-02-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Whenever a person has an accident which leads to him or her being disabled in some way the question which is most frequently asked is Why did it happen to me? At that point and time you will probably not have an answer for it and will be feeling like it is the end of the world for you. You are wrong.

When I was first diagnosed with having Friedrich’s Ataxia and was told that I will not be able to walk again, it was very heartbreaking and seeing a wheelchair for the first time was not a welcoming sight for me. At that point it felt like my life was coming to an end. All my dreams and ambitions were shattered and the question why did it happen to me kept being repeated in my mind. Being the only child of my parents was also very tough for my parents to accept in the beginning.

Advantage of being Positive in Life

Over the years the wheelchair has proved to be a source of strength for me. It is very important to have a positive frame of mind when you are faced with an obstacle in life. In the Quran it is repeated time and again that the ability to struggle in life for something is of utmost importance even though you may not achieve your desired goal. I always have tried to follow the simple philosophy in life which I have taken from a motivational speaker and one of my inspirations W. Mitchell. “It is not what happens to you It is what you do about It”. Life is unpredictable and lot of things happen over which you have no control. At the end of the day you get to choose as to how to live your life, as it is you who knows what you capable of doing. The choice is whether to live life with a positive attitude, get out of your comfort zone, make things happen or to accept life as it is, feeling frustrated and doing nothing about it.

I have chosen to be positive in life, never to give up and have the will power to succeed which has been the result of my being physically challenged. I have never let my disability come in the way of what I have wanted to achieve. My being able to swim without discomfort is the result of being positive in life. Similarly my giving motivational talks is due to the belief in my abilities of achieving something for the underprivileged people. It gives me immense satisfaction to be able to inspire and motivate people to make Pakistan more wheelchair friendly.

Disabled people having greater Will Power

So the point is that disability is not a inability. People who are disabled are ab led in many other things. I can give you the example of a couple of my inspirations such as Stephen Hawking and W. Mitchell. Hawking despite of his being paralyzed is one of the leading professors of Physics and what he has achieved is truly great. It is for people to understand and acknowledge what a disabled person is capable of doing. W. Mitchell is another example who also despite of being in a wheelchair never gave up in life and is the President of the International Association of Speakers in the United States. He had a fiery motorcycle accident which burnt 65% of his body and had an airplane crash which took away his ability to walk. Mitchell now soars above the rest with grace, good humor and gumption. Mitchell speaks with passion about the human spirit.As you can see these points strengthen my case about disabled people having that extra will power to do well and being able to never give up in life.

Equal opportunities must be provided to Disabled People

All of us are blessed with inner strengths. It’s just through circumstance, some of us have to use them more than others. That is what makes disabled people special. I am sure there are countless stories of disabled people being able to achieve immeasurable success.
I have always learnt never to let failures prevent me from what goals I have wanted to achieve no matter how insurmountable the challenge is. It would be my advise to everyone in Pakistan never to think of disabled people as someone who are incapable of achieving anything in life. They must be given equal opportunities like other individuals to test what they are capable of accomplishing. I will conclude on a beautiful saying:
“ In the midst of winter, I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer”.

How I get my Motivation

2010-02-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

One question which I am frequently asked after giving my talk is where do I get my motivation from? It is quite an intriguing and thought provoking question and it does get me into deep thought. Being a motivational speaker I guess it should not be too difficult for me to answer it. Let me analyze motivation.

Motivation means to move people. If you ask any successful person what motivates him and the answer will be “goals”. Goal setting is vital for motivation and success. It would apply to me as well as to what are my goals in giving motivational talks? The basics of my talks have been to change the mindsets of people in making Pakistan a wheel chair friendly place. I would consider that as my main goal and the main ingredient in my motivation. W. Mitchell said “If you leave our audience the same way they were before you came to speak then why did you turn up”.

I will come back to that point. Interest is an important motivator for a student. So is a desire to learn. When you link these two things together, you create success. Often success in an endeavor leads to more interest and a greater desire to learn, creating an upward spiral of motivation toward a goal you have established. Goals can vary in different situations for example during swimming I set a goal of doing 50 laps which keeps me motivated to achieve that goal. It is my interest in swimming which motivates me to excel in it.

So as you can see having an interest is important for being motivated. You can see sporting idols like Roger Federer and Tiger Woods are the world beaters in their sports because of their motivation of winning and being the best in their sport.

When you are affected by some disability it does tend you to have that extra will power and achieve much more in life. The ability to struggle in life is of extreme importance as also stated in the Quran which leads to motivation. I do walking using parallel bars at home and it is my being interested which enables me to walk. The ability to struggle after having completed walking gives me a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

It is 4 things which lead to my giving motivational talks 1) my faith in God 2) never to give up in life 3) always look at the bright side of life 4) always believe in my abilities. These are the 4 things which have always helped me in achieving my goals. There is a saying which says” An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty, A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity”.

So I have always tried to follow that no matter how difficult the situation is. Helping underprivileged children and people towards achieving their goal is where I get my motivation from. I would like to conclude on a motivational quotation by the following:

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new” - Einstein

Importance of Having Role Models in your Life

2010-02-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

By having role models we can see how others live their lives and learn from their mistakes and successes. Rather than groping in the dark we have a roadmap put in front of us. Here are some reasons as to why role models are important:

How to find a good role model:

Look around at people you admire. Whether a parent, a sport star, activist, public speaker or anyone else you feel is successful, learn all you can about this person. You may be able to talk to them directly or read their biography. How did they get to where they are now? What mistakes did they make along the way? How can you use their advice or actions in your own life?

Gather sources from many places:

Another method is to think of the top three or five people you admire and gather information on them all then combine what you found, creating your own framework for success. Another person you admire maybe very confident and outgoing. By themselves, they may not offer everything you’d want to be as a person, but you can choose their most admirable traits and incorporate them into your own life.

Role Models are real people:

The more you know about a role model, the more you’ll find that they’re real
people just like yourself. They have bad habits and they make mistakes. In other
words they’re human! Many people tend to idolize movie stars and sports stars,
trying to emulate them and then feeling badly about themselves when they don’t
live up to their own preconceived notions of what greatness is.

There are times in our lives when we’re are trying to find ourselves and looking
toward a positive and influential role model is helpful. By emulating the person you
look up to, you’ll bring their positive behaviors into your own life and adopt them
for yourself.

My role model

Being a motivational speaker, it is imperative for me to look for individuals who
inspire me regularly. I have been fortunate enough to have found public speakers, sports stars and movie stars who give me a lot of motivation. The one individual who stands out head and shoulders above everyone is the tennis living legend Roger Federer.

Qualities which make Roger Federer my greatest role model

Roger Federer is my greatest role model without a shadow of doubt. He is the greatest tennis player to have played the game of tennis. The qualities which make Federer my greatest role mtodel are:
1. Watching him in action motivates me to do greater things in life.
2. His ability to come back from impossible situations and win is phenomenal.
3. It is his never say die attitude which makes him no.1 in my book.
4. Watching Federer win tennis tournaments gives me the inspiration to do well in life.
5. Try to emulate Federer by wearing the Nike clothes he wears.
6. Always inspires me to be fit.

In conclusion I would like to emphasize the importance of having a role model in life:
a. Getting the inspiration or motivation to do greater things in life.
b. Having someone to look up to and admire their superior qualities.
c. Watching them perform gives you immense pleasure and happiness.
d. Their greater qualities enable you to live your life in a positive light.

My love for Pets

2010-01-26T02:49:00.000-08:00

Dogs my first Love

I guess keeping dogs as pets ran in my family and that is how I got this habit. My grandfather always used to keep dogs, then my uncle is crazy about dogs who lives in England and my father also loved dogs. Now you can see as to how I got this love for keeping dogs. Dogs have been the only animal I have kept as pets. They are known to be man's best friend and are considered very faithful. As you will see from my article I have always considered the dogs I have kept to be pets and a part of the family. For me keeping a dog as a watchdog was as good as not keeping one at all.

Tmmy my first Dog

I had a dog called Timmy in Lahore. In those days The Famous Five used to be a popular story written by Enid Blyton and they used to have a dog called Timmy. That was how I got the name. I was very close to him and used to love playing with him. During cycling he used to run around with me and just loving the freedom he had. I used to talk him for long walks and in Lahore, there used to be a number of parks to go. Timmy used to get me worried when the gate would be open and he would sneak out of the house and not return until a few hours. My cousins would also love playing with him and while we used to play cricket, Timmy would go after the ball. I also didn’t like it at all when my father used to hit him if he did something wrong which was seldom. The time to move back to Karachi and we had to take Timmy with us, as he had become a part of the family.

The passing away of Timmy

Unfortunately Timmy could never settle down in Karachi and was beginning to fall sick quite frequently. Timmy was around six weeks old when he first came to us and he had grown up in Lahore. Although I used to take him to the beach and we used to have a lot of fun there. Timmy was not the same dog anymore and used to be very lazy always seen to me sleeping. We did take him to the vet a number of times and an injection would be given to him for regaining energy. His last few months were very hard for me and he was a shadow of his old self. He had lost a lot of weight and was not eating properly. In the end we were told that to overcome his suffering an injection would be given which would put him to sleep. Indeed it would be the toughest decision I had to make so far and seeing him suffer was something I could not bear. Timmy was put to sleep and died peacefully. It was a very sad day for me and I could picture him everywhere and how he used to greet me when I would come home after school. It did take me a lot of time to get over Timmy and he will always remain in my heart.

Keeping dogs was not an easy task as you have to take care of them. My mother was not at all used to keeping dogs and never before in her family had someone kept dogs. By keeping Timmy who we had for 7 to 8 years brought a change in my mom and she began to like dogs. My mom’s parents meaning my grand parents were always very scared of dogs from the beginning and whenever they used to come to visit us we would have to tie our dog. It did take some time to keep a dog after Timmy had died. I did keep 2 to 3 different dogs but the one who I will always remember is the last dog I kept called Jerry.

My most loving and best friend Jerry

His name I had kept after watching a movie called K9 in which there was a beautiful German Shepard dog known as Jerry. My jerry really resembled him and was just as beautiful as him. He was what you what say perfect in every way. There were so many things I just loved about him and he was my best and most loving friend. He would love to sleep on my bed and sit on the sofa with me. He would always wake me up in the morning by coming and licking my face. When I would get back from the office, he would be standing by the stairs to greet me. One of Jerry’s favorite things used to be going for a drive in the car. I also loved taking Jerry and we used to go on a Saturday.

Having fun with Jerry

Jerry was a very intelligent dog and in the evening he could tell when it was time for him to go in the car. He would go and stand by the car waiting to go. We used to go for half an hour with Jerry taking his face out of the window and enjoy the breeze. It really made Jerry’s weekend and I used to be so much happy for him. Jerry also used to love sleeping in the air conditioned room and used to sleep in my room a number of times. Jerry did have a lot of hair which did make it very uncomfortable as it used to get very hot and humid. During one summer we decided to shave off Jerry’s hair and you could not recognize him after his hair had been shaved off. Jerry looked totally different and since his hair was his beauty we decided not too shave off his hair again. Jerry became very close and attached to my mom as she was the one who used to feed him and be with him when I and my dad were in office. Jerry would always follow my mom wherever she would go.

Leaving Jerry Alone

I normally would be very excited when going abroad for a vacation but that was not the case when Jerry was there. I hated leaving Jerry alone and wished that I could also take him along.. Jerry used to be very upset at seeing the three of us leave and what my feelings were at that time were hard to describe. Jerry used to be in the hands of the servants which I disliked immensely but there was no other option. During my vacation, I would always be thinking about Jerry and what he would be doing. We would often call up home and enquire about how Jerry was. On knowing that he was fine would give me a enormous about of satisfaction and comfort. I clearly remember the joy and happiness with which he used to welcome us back. He used to jump on top of us and his joy had no bounds. It was a sight which was totally unique and I can never forget it for the rest of my life. I always used to get things for Jerry including bones to play with and biscuits. Jerry used to love them. I used to be so happy to be back with Jerry and thanked God for Jerry’s good health.

Losing Jerry

This paragraph is going to be very difficult for me to write. I remember Jerry used to have tick fever a number of times. Ticks used to be small insects which used to suck the blood out of Jerry and used to make him very weak. There used to be tick powder which we would pour over Jerry’s body to kill the ticks. A couple of times Jerry had it we were able to catch the fever in time and kill it with powder. The ticks had covered the whole of Jerry’s body which was going to be the last time he had this deadly fever. Jerry had become so weak and it made me cry to see him like that. All the vets had said that nothing could be done now and Jerry would live for a few days more. I felt so helpless at that point and so low as I have never felt. One morning I heard my father call me loudly and saw that Jerry had passed away. He was lying there in total peace. Jerry was around 8 years old and as they say 1 human year equals to 7 years of a dog. Jerry in that case would be 56 years old. They say that the life of a German Shepherd was short and Jerry had lived his life.

Tough Times

It was a very difficult time for me and it felt as if a part of my life had come to an end. Jerry was like a brother to me and the best friend I have ever had. They day Jerry passed away I went to bury him and on the way back could not help myself from crying all the way home. I definitely felt a sense of loss and was totally overwhelmed by emotions. It also had a very telling effect on my mom, as I had earlier said how close she had become to Jerry. Up till the present time I have still not been able to overcome the loss of Jerry and miss him like crazy at times. I can still picture him going for a drive in the car. We have not been able to keep a dog after Jerry. I guess his loss was so great that we just not have been able to come to terms with it. Keeping a dog requires a lot of care and having a lot of time at your hands for him, which is one of the reasons for not keeping another dog. The ultimate reason would be Jerry himself, his beauty, charisma and intelligence which no other dog can ever possess. I guess it will be difficult for you to believe me but at the time of writing this chapter on Jerry I had tears in my eyes which showed the affection and love I will always have for him.

Overcoming Jerry's Loss

I would have to say that losing Jerry was a big loss for me and I have never been able to recover from it. It is true that life goes on but when you lose something so close to you, it definitely has an impact on you and your life is not the same anymore. Being the only child makes me more sensitive and emotional at times like these. Since Jerry was my best friend losing him also felt like a part of my body had gone with him. We also have not kept a dog after Jerry, as the loss of Jerry was too overwhelming for us. Besides I had become busy in my work and used to come home in the evenings. I would not have to give or spend much time with the dog which would be unfair to him. It would have been too much of a burden on my mom taking care of him. After the passing away of Jerry I decided to keep busy in work which enabled me to concentrate on work related things and time was beginning to pass quickly.

My time spent at IBM

2010-01-19T02:50:00.000-08:00

Getting started at IBM

I would also like to talk about the time spent in IBM over 15 years which was definitely memorable and very enjoyable time. I had started by doing computer courses and went on to work for them. After completing my A-levels I had joined IBM as I was interested in computers. IBM being one of the most successful computer companies in modern times. As the then Managing Director of IBM was a good friend of my father, he offered me a job and I joined the finance department in IBM. I had been diagnosed of Friedrich’s Ataxia before joining IBM and I used to use a walker for walking. I remember taking rounds of the building using my walker and it felt great.

My transfer into a wheelchair happened while I was in IBM, due to my legs getting weak and making it impossible for me to walk. Let me say that the entire staff and employees of IBM were extremely caring and gave me all their support and courage. They made sure that my seat had a lot of space to maneuver and all my work was done on the computer. I did not need to do any running around for my work which made it very comfortable for me.

I made a lot of great friends a IBM. At one point and time we were five to six friends all working together in the finance department. It was one of the most enjoyable and memorable time I ever had. We used to joke, laugh, tease one another and also used to do our work at the same time. We were extremely lucky to have some extremely understanding managers who would also used to joke with us and engage in some interesting conversation with us today. The atmosphere used to be so entertaining and exciting.

A.F. FERGUSON

A.F. Ferguson which was an audit company and was headed by my father at that time used to do the audit of IBM. Their team compromised of some young boys who were extremely friendly with me. I remember when their team came over for the audit of IBM, we had a ball of a time, used to go for lunch and joke all the time. There were a couple of female auditors with whom I became friends and have kept in touch with them to this day. One of them is among my best friends and her name is Aana. She is married now and lives in England. I always try to meet her when I go to England.

The Best Boss I have ever Had

My story on IBM would not be complete without mentioning my boss Mohammad Zubair. He I would say has been the most caring, understanding and friendly boss I have ever had. In the beginning of my joining IBM, I had a female boss by the name of Ferial. She also was very caring and an extremely friendly person. She also gave me an award for my work at IBM. Ferial was my boss for a couple of years in the mid-nineties before she went abroad. By that time Zubair had come from Europe to become the Chief Financial Officer of Pakistan. He was extremely fond of sports and that made our relationship so much friendly and never did I think of Zubair as my boss. It was such an informal relationship and I remember after having lunch, we always used to discuss various sports in general including cricket, football etc. The rest of the finance department would also be encouraged by our conversation to take part.

Shifting to a new Venue

The atmosphere would be so exciting and one did not feel as if you were in an office. IBM during the nineties was located in Avari Plaza which was situated right next to Avari Towers. We got the news that IBM will be shifting to a new building located on Shara-e-Faisal. I remember going there to lay the foundation of the building. We were all definitely going to miss Avari Towers and we used to go for lunch a lot to Bake’n’Take which was a very popular eating place at Avari Towers in those days. As we used to often sit late during the month of fasting, which meant we would often open our fast at Bake’n’Take. We would definitely remember these things as well as being excited about going to a new venue.

New building more convenient for Me

The new building consisted of 12 floors and the finance department would be on the 12th floor. The building was owned by IBM and a lot of money had been spent on it. It indeed was very impressive and spacious compared to the cramped space we had in Avari Plaza. Over there we just had one floor compared to twelve floors we had here. All the electricity here was run on generators and there would be no question of not having electricity here. It indeed was a far cry from the experience we had in Avari Plaza. I remember during the summers when it used to be boiling hot, there used to be no electricity at the office for the entire day. Me and my friend Zahir used to come dressed in tee shirts to avoid the heat. No electricity in the building also meant no lifts and during that time when I used to walk using a walker, it meant my coming by the stairs for 3 floors. It indeed was a relief to get rid of that problem.

Very wheelchair friendly Washrooms

For me the only apprehension in the new building was the washroom. I remember at Avari Plaza there being a single washroom which was at quite a distance from our department. So indeed it was quite a struggle for me to get to the washroom and there were not wheelchair friendly. What Zubair, my manager went on to do is what makes him so special and caring. While the building was being made he had my wheelchair taken to the new premises for measurements, so that the washroom being made could accommodate my wheelchair. When the building was ready and I went to check the washroom, I discovered that every floor had got washrooms. When I went to the 12th floor I found out that a separate washroom had been made for me and totally wheelchair friendly. There were rods fitted on each side to help me hold onto something while getting out of the wheelchair.

One caring Family

Zubair also made sure that my seat was spacious and was located near the exit. My seat would be close to his room which would enable him to keep an eye on me. There would be number of people who would help me in the washroom. It showed that our department was very friendly and we used to help each other like one big family. For this the credit goes to our boss Zubair being such a bold, helpful and caring person. He used to care for everyone in the department and was liked by everyone. For me he is very special and what he did very few people can ever do that.

Memorable time at IBM

In conclusion I would like to say that the time spent in IBM of over 15 years was truly memorable and unforgettable for me. Spending 15 years at one place reminds you of so many events and incidents that took place. There were innumerable occasions of having fun and enjoying with various people in various departments. There used to be a lady by the name of Naseem Muraj who was my boss Zubair’s secretary. She was a very loving person and used to console everyone in the department when there was something wrong with them. Some of my best and true friends were made in IBM namely Zahir, Asim, Najib, Sophia and Aana.

Nostalgic Time

Every summer internees from different colleges and universities used to intern at IBM up to 6 weeks. I also got to know some of the internees well and were quite friendly. I definitely had the time of my life at IBM and to leave after15 years was not easy to do. I remember being given a farewell lunch by my department before leaving. I was asked to make a farewell speech by my department and it indeed was a nostalgic moment for me. People were very surprised to see me leave and asked me not to go. I do visit IBM sometimes recently and it is a great feeling I get when I go there. People have not forgotten me and they give me a warm welcome on seeing me. A few individuals have changed in the finance department since my being there. My friend Zahir has become the CFO ( Chief Financial Officer) after Zubair who retired. Next month IBM will again be shifting to a new building which will also be located at Shahra-e-Faisal.

Briefly I will talk about the new building which IBM has shifted into. I have been there a couple of times and it is very impressive. You can see that IBM is doing very well as a company from the amount of money that has been spent on the floor they occupy. They have 1 floor in the building which is huge and very spacious. The whole layout and the design is very eye catching. Whenever I go to IBM it brings back the olden memories when I was in IBM. Everyone in IBM comes to meet me and make me feel so welcome. IBM will always remain a part of my life.

AVATAR what a movie

2010-01-17T00:18:00.001-08:00

AVATAR

Last Friday I had gone to see Avatar with my friends at a cinema in Karachi. I had been told by another friend that the movie is a must see on the big screen. How true he was. Everyone was talking so much about the movie that it was one of the greatest movie of it's kind and is well on it's way to become the highest grossing movie of all time.

Naturally after hearing so much praise for the movie, my expectations were very high and I was not to be disappointed. It was a movie of it's kind and you have to see it to experience the feeling you have afterwards. The cinematography, visual effects, sound are just awesome and it definitely is a must see on the big screen. Some of the photography shown in the scenes simply takes your breath away. My friend told me that the effects were amazing and he had not seen such effects in a movie for a long time.

The aliens which are known as avatars are made to look so real and the make up on them is just great. The movie has been directed by the same person who directed "Titanic". You for a minute cannot believe that as both the movies are so different from each other. After the movie ends you are totally in a state of daze like I was. It is a must see movie on the big screen and one which will leave you amazed and awestruck.

Cinemas in Karachi need to be more wheelchair friendly

In conclusion I would like to comment on the cinema where the movie is being played. The theatre known as cineplex are not very wheelchair friendly. Avatar was being shown in cinema 1 which does not have access to a lift. The cinema is located down where as rest of the 4 cinemas are upwards having facilities of a lift. My chair had to be lifted along the stairs by the helpers enroute to the cinema. It was not a pleasant experience and was a dangerous one. It was a risky thing as I could have got hurt had the wheelchair slipped. I must say that the staff at the cinema were helpful and caring. I did express my concern and told the people of having a ramp for the wheelchair. This was the only part of my visit to the cinema which was not enjoyable.

My disease: Friedrich's Ataxia

2010-01-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

Walker

Being diagnosed of Friedrich’s Ataxia effectively ended my chances of going for higher studies abroad. I decided not to pursue with my studies anymore, as the disease was gradually making it more difficult for me to walk. After doing my A-levels at KGS I decided to give up my studies and concentrate on things that interested me. By this time I had stopped wearing a brace for my back and was now in the process of walking with a walker. The walker provided me assistance and prevented me from falling down in the beginning. With the passage of time it apparently got more tough for me to use the walker and I was beginning to fall down a lot.

Symptoms of Ataxia

I was again examined by the doctor to find out the reason for my falling frequently. I had been told that I had Friedrich’s Ataxia before and was told that my lower muscles were weakening and I got the shocking news that I would be transferred into a wheelchair. With that also came the news that I might not be able to walk again. Friedrich’s ataxia was a genetic disease and it caused progressive damage to the nervous system. It had a number of symptoms involved including loss of hearing, speech problem, etc. By the grace of God I have not had these symptoms effect me too much. There are slight traces of some of these symptoms which is natural but on the whole I have lived a problem free life. Things are very different these days compared to the old times. There has been so much progress in medicine and there is so much research going on in the field of ataxia, which makes me so optimistic about this disease being curable in the near future.

Swimming

The doctors examining me each year in England are very delighted by my progress and have asked me to keep it up. They are very impressed by the fact that I swim regularly and do up to 20 laps. Swimming has been my passion and I get a great deal of motivation from it. The doctors have also me to lose weight to make life easier and more comfortable for me. I do know the lighter I am the easier it will be to manage myself and for other people to handle me. The encouragement I used to get from the doctors used to make me and my parents very happy and used to be reflected in our attitude in general.

Transfer in a Wheelchair

It indeed was totally different in the olden times when I was told about having to transfer in a wheelchair and having been told that I may never be able to walk again. It felt as if my life had come to a standstill, with all my ambitions and dreams shattered. I was 20 at that time and in the prime of my life. The first thought which came to my mind was “ Why me”. At that time nothing seemed to make sense to me and I was totally depressed.

Going for Trips

I remembered the time when I had no problems and took pleasure trips abroad with my parents and their friends. We went to the US and really had quality time there. We visited Disney World and I remember going to Las Vegas, seeing all their grand Casinos. It really was a memorable and enjoyable trip. This trip for the record was taken in the mid-eighties. Another trip where I had a lot of fun was during my visit to the northern areas of Pakistan. I totally fell in love with the beautiful hilly and mountainous Nathiagali. The best part was the lovely weather and the fresh food. That was indeed the highlight of my visit.

During the eighties before being transferred in a wheelchair I remember making a number of trips to America. During that period I remember also visiting my friend in Boston who was studying there. We had a great tine together doing a lot of sight seeing and he showed me the campus of Bentley University where he was studying. These really were memorable times I had and was left to wonder weather I would have the same fun and enjoyment being in a wheelchair.

Advantages of a Wheelchair

It took a lot of comforting from the doctors who told me the benefits of being in a wheelchair. The benefit of going from one place to another quickly thus minimizing the risk of falling down and hurting myself. New hurdles and obstacles had begun to come in my way including stairs. I realized the advantages of being in a wheelchair and decided to take it up as a challenge. Living in Pakistan on a wheelchair was not easy with Pakistan not at all catered to the physically challenged people. People used to stare at you as if being in a wheelchair was considered a crime. When I look back to those times, I made the grave mistake of allowing people to feel sorry and having pity on me.

Support of my Parents

I have come a long way and have learnt a lot from those instances. Nowadays I totally despise someone having pity on me. I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the best of things including clubs, going to the best eating places and able to afford going abroad every year. All these things had a very positive impact on my life and made it more worthwhile living. For this I am grateful to my parents who made sure I had all the benefits and advantages available to me being in a wheelchair. Naturally it was very difficult for them to see me transfer into a wheelchair, I being the only child of my parents. It has been through their tremendous support and encouragement that has enabled me to be where I am today. They have always stood by me at all times and have always tried their very best in trying to make me happy and content in life.

Having a Positive Attitude in Life

In the beginning this wheelchair felt like a prison for me because it confined me from where I wanted to go and prevented me from what I wanted to do. Like they say it is not the problems that determine your state it is your attitude towards it. If you can stay cheerful when confronted with a problem half the problem is automatically solved. It is also very imperative to have a positive attitude in life when faced with an obstacle in life like I was. Here I would say that being the only child of my parents definitely made life tougher for me in the beginning. The reason for that all the attention and focus being on me, which made me feel awkward and nervous at times. Of course there was the advantage of enjoying life to the fullest on my own and the immense freedom I had of being on my own was huge. It meant that being the only child gave me a lot of confidence as to how to live your life alone for the future.

My time spent at Karachi Grammar School

2010-01-12T03:39:00.001-08:00

Before moving on I would like to talk about Karachi Grammar School. It definitely was one of the best schools in the country and it helped me gain a lot of knowledge. The teachers were all very supportive towards me. I would like to make special mention of the Principal Ms Mujahid who is also there now. Nowadays KGS( Karachi Grammar School) is located in Clifton. The manner in which Ms Mujahid welcomed me in giving a motivational talk will remain fresh in my memory.

I remember going there a couple of times and really the building was immaculate and so clean. It reminded me of the days when the school was located in the hustle and bustle area of Sadaar. There is a small batch of the school still there. It would make me think as to how lucky the students are these days who have not had to study in the old building. KGS definitely improved my English which has helped me in all walks of life.

Using the walker

My early Days Part 2

2010-01-12T02:26:00.001-08:00

What a contrast

Karachi Grammar School was indeed a far cry from the beautiful and picturesque Aitchison College. For me it was a ugly piece of structure situated in the middle of the city. For me it was my second visit at Grammar School as I had also gone to nursery here before leaving for Lahore. My oldest and best friend was Karim who was with me throughout Grammar School. I really enjoyed his company and he was the one to introduce me to other students. The level of studies was higher than what it was at Aitchison particularly English. After having changed schools frequently, it was natural for me taking time to get used to the standard of studies and the environment. As far as sports were concerned it was a rude shock for me and would be an insult if compared to Aitchison. There was just one ground full of dust which was used for sports. What a contrast.

Wearing a Brace for my Back

By that time in Grammar, I was beginning to have back pain and there was a curve in my back. I used to go to England for my check up and I was told by the doctor there that I would be needing surgery for my back. On the day I was to have the surgery, the doctor changed his mind and cancelled the surgery. He said that the surgery was too risky and one patient had lost his life during surgery. It came as a surprise to me, as I was all ready for the surgery. Having been in the hospital for 4 to 5 days, I was finally discharged and was told I would have to wear a brace for my back . The brace would prevent the curve I had from getting worse. The brace was made in England and I had to give my body measurements. I was told I would have to wear it for majority of the day and would be able to take it off while sleeping which was a relief.

Getting used to the Brace

I noticed that with the passage of time and towards the end I used to wear the brace while going to school and took me some time to get used to it. It obviously meant that I would not be able to play outdoor sports anymore, as running around with the brace on was not an option for me. It indeed was very frustrating for me to see other students play sports. It did take me some time to get over it and my ambition of becoming a sportsman was shattered. Managing at the school with my brace on was not easy to do and it did require a lot of understanding from the other students. Going up the stairs was a big hurdle for me with the brace on and overcoming it felt like as I had achieved something. I went on to wear the brace for 3 to 4 years and slowly got used to it wearing it at school. It greatly helped my curve in the back from deteriorating but what was to follow was something totally unexpected.

Towards the end of my school days, I was beginning to have problems walking. It was getting increasingly difficult for me to keep my balance. My parents got worried and decided to take me to England to show the doctors. After examining me I was diagnosed with having a disease known as Friedrich’s Ataxia. It was a very rare disease in Pakistan. How was I going to survive in Pakistan on a wheelchair?

My early Days Part 1

2010-01-12T00:43:00.000-08:00

Childhood

My childhood was very enjoyable and I had a lot of fun. Being the only child of my parents meant that all the attention was on me, which had it’s advantages as well as disadvantages. Before my schooling began I remember we spent time in Rawalpindi. We had a house there and I remember having a dog there. From the beginning I loved having dogs and I would say, my interest in dogs came from my father, uncle and grandfather. They all loved keeping dogs. All my family used to go for trips to Muree quite regularly and have a great time there.

I remember beginning my schooling in England and going there for around 6 months before coming back to Pakistan. I went to Karachi Grammar School on my return and it was considered very difficult to get admission there. I was beginning to like it and get settled, when I got to know that we including my parents had to move to Lahore. I did not know at that time that my time spent in Lahore would turn out to be the most memorable time of my childhood.

Time spent at Aitchison College

First of all I had the opportunity of going to one of the top schools in the country called Aitchison College. My love for sports began at Aitchison, as it without a doubt had the best sporting facilities in the country. The picturesque cricket, football and hockey grounds were a treat for the eyes. I too immensely enjoyed playing all sports including tennis, table tennis and swimming. I vividly remember the days when I used to play cricket and tennis at Aitchison. My recent visit to Lahore and going back to Aitchison for giving a motivational talk certainly brought back all the good old memories. It was a very nostalgic and special occasion for me. As I stood to speak to more than 500 kids out there, I could recall the time when I was a student there. It is hard to describe how I felt when I got a standing ovation after I had completed my talk. All I can say is that it was my most memorable talk yet. Aitchison without a doubt is the most beautiful college in the country and I consider myself fortunate enough to have studied at Aitchison.

Living with my Grandparents in Lahore

Spending time with my grandparents who used to live in Lahore was another reason for my having so much fun in Lahore. I remember my grandparents having a big house in Lahore and I used to go regularly to spend nights at their house. My cousins who were also in Lahore, would also come over and we would have a great time together. I remember playing a lot of cricket in Lahore at my house with my cousins, friends and helpers. Cycling was also something I used to enjoy a lot and the freedom I used to get from riding it was exceptional. I also remember once during cycling my eye got injured and got a black hole around it. Everyone at home really got worried, telling me not to cycle again, which I could not do as cycling had become my first love. wLike I said I always loved keeping dogs and during my stay in Lahore, I had a dog by the name of Timmy. I used to take him for walks, take him for a ride in the car and he always used to sleep in my room. I became very close to him and could not think of living without him. All these pleasures and various interests in life made my stay in Lahore such a memorable stay. Above all Lahore was so green, picturesque and scenic. Sight seeing was a must there with so many historic sites located there. Time just flew and before long I knew it was time to head back to Karachi.

Lahore is my hometown and will always remain in my heart. I always try to visit Lahore once a year and it always relives my past memories. Coming to Karachi which was completely different compared to Lahore with it’s fast paced life and people always on the go. In Lahore you will find people very laid back and warm. People always taking time out to meet you where as it is quite the opposite in Karachi. It did take me a while to get used to the life style in Karachi.

Hala: A dear friend and my best physio

2010-01-06T03:01:00.000-08:00

Besides swimming I also used to go to the gym. The gym contained a variety of exercise’s including weights, cycling, push ups and rowing. I used to enjoy going to the gym and made a number of good friends over there. There was a girl who used to be the trainer at the gym by the name of Hala and she would go on to become a very close friend and would assist me a lot in my struggle for getting fit.

My introduction to Hala

It all started at the gym where she would help me with a number of exercises and would show me how to do them. She introduced me to the recumbent bike and asked me to use it regularly with the help of other attendees. The bike helped me to lose a lot of weight as well as making my legs stronger. I was doing other exercises as well told by Hala which included using weights, abdominal push ups and holding the bar for my back. My progress was going well and Hala was happy with it.

One evening while I was at the gym Hala suggested that she can do physiotherapy with me at my house. Hala was a certified physiotherapist from the States. She clearly could see that I required physiotherapy for ataxia which I had and it would go a long way in helping me. I was very excited and thrilled about the idea of Hala coming over for physiotherapy.

Before Hala I did have a local physiotherapist who tried his best and also helped me to walk using the parallel bars which I had at home. Clearly he was no match for Hala. I did physiotherapy with Hala for over a year and it was excellent. We used to do different types of exercises including ball work, lying down exercises, hand movements, neck exercises and also some yoga poses.

Later on we also did walking using the parallel bars but Hala told me that my legs were not strong enough to walk and required further strengthening. She believed we needed to do pool therapy also, where I would be doing various exercises in the pool including swimming. Hala would stand by the pool and monitor my workout.

By coming for physiotherapy to my house Hala and I became very good friends. We used to go for lunch, meet at parties and I would call her at my birthday party as well as at dance balls at Sindh Club. I remember at a birthday party at the club, I made a speech in which I thanked Hala for her tremendous help and effort.

It indeed was one of the most enjoyable and memorable time for me when I used to be with Hala.. She would always used to take special care of me when we used to go for lunch or at a late night dance party at the club. Hala was extremely popular at the gym in Sindh Club and had a lot of friends outside the club.

I used to go to the gym after having physiotherapy in the morning and it was quite tiring. I would say that while doing my exercises with Hala my fitness was at an all time high. My body would be in perfect shape which would really have a positive impact on me and make me very motivated.

Being with Hala always used to make me very happy and I will admit having a crush on her. She told me that she would be leaving for the States along with her parents. It indeed was sad to see her leave, although she did leave me a physiotherapist who was obviously not good as her.

The Club also had a farewell dinner for her where I was invited also. It was very enjoyable and a few of my gym friends were also there. Hala had promised to do meditation with me and a couple of days before leaving she did that with me. It was so relaxing and I really enjoyed it.

I had promised to take her for lunch before she left which we went after meditation. I had also got to know one of Hala’s very close friends known as Faroukh, who went to become a very good friend of mine once Hala had left. The time I spent with Hala was definitely one of the highlights in my life so far.

My talk at Deaf Reach School to Beacon House Students

2010-01-05T02:45:00.000-08:00

The afternoon of 23rd December saw me deliver my second lecture of the day to Beacon House students at Deaf Reach School. The school is owned and run by (FESF) Family Educational Services Foundation. My talk being a part of the Move seminar conducted by FESF.

I have been regularly visiting the Deaf Reach School and have given motivational talks before. On that day the room was overflowing with Beacon House students and there was plenty of noise. There must have been around 40 to 50 students in that room.

On seeing the number of students did not make me uneasy as I had become accustomed to giving talks to bigger audiences in the past. I was introduced by Mary Riek the President of FESF, who has known me for several years and we have worked together on many occasions. Mary has become a very close friend of mine.

On beginning my lecture I could see that all the noise had died down and there was pin drop silence in the room. All the students were attentive and had their eyes on me. My topic was the same as my first lecture which was "Overcoming Obstacles".

Making the talk more interactive provided the students in being more involved and interested in the lecture. Having two lectures in a day was taking it's toll, as I was feeling tired during the middle of my talk. Taking a break for 2 to 3 minutes and having a glass of water helped me overcome by tiredness.

My lecture was followed by very interesting question and answer session. The questions asked by the students confirmed their concentration and attention on the talk. Delivering talks to such students is always a pleasure and I feel like my goal has been achieved.

So 23rd of December 2009 had come to an end and I could say that both my lectures had been successful and my message had been delivered. It definitely was a significant day for me and it felt like I had achieved something.

My talk at Froebel Education Centre

2009-12-30T01:51:00.000-08:00

23rd of December 2009 was a big day for me, as I had 2 lectures scheduled one in the morning and one in the afternoon. My talks were part of the Move seminar which was organised by Family Educational Services Foundation. I will talk about my lecture in the morning to Froebel education centre.

Froebel School is located in Defence Phase 8 and there are a number of schools located in that area. This was my first visit to the school and it had 2 seperate buildings for the junior and the senior branch. My lecture was at the senior branch and I was very impressed by the cleanliness of the school.

There were a few steps to the entrance in which I found no discomfort. I was recieved by the teacher of the students whom I was going to talk to. There was a group of 20 students from class 9 and 10 whom I was going to give my talk to. My topic was the same one I spoke in the Move seminar on 'Overcoming Obstacles'.

Before beginning my lecture I saw that a number of students came up to shake my hand which was a nice and friendly gesture. During my talk I found the students to be very interested and attentive in what I was saying which enabled me to be more interactive.

Their interest in my lecture was evident by their asking me a number of challenging questions. One boy for instance asked me 3 questions in a row which was very inspiring for me. I always enjoying giving a lecture to such a group of motivated students. They also took a group photograph with me in the end.

The principal of the school also met me at the end of my session. I felt really special as the principal told me that your coming in a wheelchair to give a lecture is truly inspirational for the students. The teacher of the students who was present during my talk told me that the students were really touched by my lecture. It was a memorable experience for me.

My talk at Habib boys School

2009-12-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

On the 17th of December 2009 I gave a motivational talk at Habib Public Boys School. This talk was organized by Family Education Services Foundation who have a school in Karachi known as Deaf Reach. This talk was a part of the Move Seminars they have every month and I feel very privileged to be a part of them.

Habib Public Boys School is one of the oldest schools of Karachi and this was the first tme I went there. I was very impressed by seeing how spaci0us and clean the school was. The school was totally wheelchair friendly and there were only a couple of steps in the way as to where I was giving my lecture.

I was speaking on the topic of "How I had Overcome Obstacles Faced in Life". There were around 30 boys listening to me. I found the boys listening with interest and very attentive. That made me more motivated and interactive with the students.

During the question and answer session there were a number of very interesting questions asked by the students which further cemented their interest in the talk. I always enjoy giving talks, where the audience are very much interested and ask interesting questions.

The boys were moved by my lecture and it felt like my goal had been achieved. All the boys came to shake my hand and took a photograph with me in the end. It truly was a inspiring and rewarding experience for me.

Overcoming Obstacles

2009-12-18T02:11:00.000-08:00

No life is without it’s fair share of problems. We all know the saying ‘it’s not the problems that determine your state, it’s your attitude towards them’, but this often seems easier said than done.

Remain Happy and Calm

If we can stay cheerful when we are confronted with a problem, that automatically reduces the size of the problem. We have to cultivate the attitude of a warrior, stand firm and not let our negative thoughts rule us. I can give my example of being transferred into a wheelchair for the first time and how I felt. Naturally it was a very frustrating and difficult time for me. It took a lot of comforting from the doctor to make me feel comfortable and realize the advantages of a wheelchair. In the beginning the wheelchair felt like a prison for me preventing me from what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.

It is extremely important to remain positive when you are faced with an obstacle in life. The 3 qualities which have enabled me to remain positive have been never to give up in life, have faith in God and always believe in your abilities. These qualities have enabled me always to be determined and struggle in life for anything you want to achieve in life.

Importance of Motivation and Inspiration

Getting motivated or getting inspired are two similar things in my opinion. You get motivation through setting of goals like for example my setting a certain number of laps makes me motivated to swim. By watching videos of motivational speakers or sporting personalities in action also gets you motivated to do greater things in life. Similarly inspiration is an important factor in maintaining one’s resolve. One should try to surround oneself with as many inspiring things as possible in the form of music, books, videos etc. I have been a sports fan from the beginning and two of my biggest inspirations have been from sports namely Roger Federer in tennis and Tiger Woods in golf. Their ability to return from the impossible and win matches is such an inspiration and their never say die attitude is immensely critical for achieving anything in life. It is their determination to stay focused on the job at hand which makes them no.1 in my book. To have role models in life who can motivate or inspire you is truly a blessing and I consider myself fortunate in having that to overcome any hurdle in life.

Believing in your Self-Abilities

Overcoming any obstacle in life requires a lot of self belief in one’s self as mentioned by me briefly. My becoming a motivational speaker was a result of having belief in my abilities. The ability of sharing my story with other children was immensely satisfying and the feedback I have been getting from my talks is inspirational. Indeed for most of us, public speaking is the biggest fear and obstacle in life. I would say that it was due to my physical condition which encouraged me to give motivational talks. Having seen other physically challenged people do public speaking and share their story with other people was very inspirational for me.

I would like to mention my biggest inspiration in public speaking W. Mitchell who himself is in a wheelchair. A fiery motorcycle accident burnt 65% of his body and a plane crash a few years later took away his ability to walk. It is his philosophy in life which has led to my ability to overcome the obstacle of public speaking which is “It is not what happens to you it is what you do about it”.

I would also like to mention The Toastmasters Club which improves your public speaking and communication skills. It is also greatly instrumental in overcoming my fear of public speaking and improving them. As I am the only one on a wheelchair attending the meetings, the encouragement and the support I get from the other people is so rewarding and makes me feel so welcome at The Toastmasters.

Never let Disability come in your Way

We have seen that people with disabilities have been able to overcome obstacles and achieve international recognition in life. The one name that comes to my mind is Stephen Hawking the famous British professor of mathematics having recently retired from that post in 2009. He was paralyzed from head to toe and could only move his middle finger. The rest is history as we saw what he achieved. For those people who don’t know of Haw king’s achievements, he is known for contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity. He has also achieved success with works of popular science in which he discusses his own theory and cosmology in general. These include the runaway bestseller A Brief History of Time. In 2007 Hawking took a flight in zero gravity. He became the first quadriplegic to float in zero-gravity. It was for the first time in 40 years that he moved freely without his wheelchair. This is the best example one can give of positive thinking. My point is that people with disabilities have that extra will power and they use more of their inner strength in overcoming all obstacles.

Knowledge for the Future

Life is a continuous journey. You will keep growing and improving yourself along the way until the time comes when nothing seems to be difficult anymore. When this day comes, you should start looking for new challenges that will boost your confidence and allow you to live a more rewarding life. Obstacles are not the end of the world and they actually are character building. Overcoming obstacles gives us knowledge for the future and helps us grow psychologically. Everyone wants to be better in some part of their lives and you must overcome that obstacle standing in your way. As I said it is very important to have a positive mindset when faced with an obstacle. Each individual will have his own way of dealing with life’s hurdles but there is no doubt that positive thinking and determination will play a major role in your continuing quest to fulfill your life.

“Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself.” Liberace

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My Life

2009-12-14T03:44:00.000-08:00

When I was first diagnosed with having Friedrich’s Ataxia and was told that I will not be able to walk again, it was very heartbreaking. Seeing a wheelchair for the first time was not a welcoming sight for me. At that point, it felt like my life was coming to an end. All my dreams and ambitions were shattered and the question why did it happen to me kept being repeated in my mind. Being the only child of my parents was also very tough for my parents to accept in the beginning.

The wheelchair, my source of strength

Over the years the wheelchair has proved to be a source of strength for me. It is very important to have a positive frame of mind when you are faced with an obstacle in life. In the Quran it is repeated time and again that the ability to struggle in life for something is of utmost importance even though you may not achieve your desired goal. I always have tried to follow the simple philosophy in life which I have taken from a motivational speaker and one of my inspirations W. Mitchell. “It is not what happens to you It is what you do about It”. Life is unpredictable and lot of things happen over which you have no control. At the end of the day you get to choose as to how to live your life, as it is you who knows what you capable of doing. The choice is whether to live life with a positive attitude, get out of your comfort zone, make things happen or to accept life as it is, feeling frustrated and doing nothing about it.

I have chosen to be positive in life, never to give up and have the will power to succeed which has been the result of my being physically challenged. I have never let my disability come in the way of what I have wanted to achieve. My being able to swim without discomfort is the result of being positive in life. Similarly my giving motivational talks is due to the belief in my abilities of achieving something for the underprivileged people.

I have always learnt never to let failures prevent me from what goals I have wanted to achieve no matter how insurmountable the challenge is. It would be my advise to everyone is to never to think of disabled people as someone who are incapable of achieving anything in life. They must be given equal opportunities like other individuals to test what they are capable of accomplishing.

My birthday

2009-12-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

Birthdays are considered special ocassions where it is the one day where you are thought of by evberyone including your friends, family and relatives. I celebrated my 40th birthday a couple of days ago and it indeed was a memorable ocassion for me.

It was made memorable by the fact that my phupoo from Lahore and my cousin from Australia were here visiting me and after a gap of almost 30 years they were here on my birthday. Through out the dayI kept on recieving e-mails, phone calls and smses from various friends wishing me and I was reminded that today was my big day so enjoy it.

The feeling I had that day was difficult to describe. I was feeling very happy and excited about the ocassion. Being thought of by so many people was very special and that is what made my day so significant for me.

In the evening I had a dinner for my family and friends at the chinese restaurant Dynasty in Avari Towers. We had 2 seperate tables for my friends and family respectively. I sat with my friends and had a great time. It was also the fact that 5 of my closest friends were there really made the dinner more memorable. One of my friends who is in the States now, was visiting Karachi after 3 years and his presense made it a more joyous ocassion.

Everyone really enjoyed the food and one of my friends made sure to take the photographs. The most important part of blowing the candles and cutting the cake was quite a funny moment for me with my friend helping me to cut the cake. I would have to say it was probably one of the most enjoyable dinners I have had.

So that bought to an end my 40th birthday celebration. It was by all means a memorable and unforgetable one for me. I opened up my birthday gifts and they were all very nice. They say that life begins at 40. I just pray to God that all my dreams I have and what I am working on are achieved successfully.

Diary on Swimming and Accessibility

2009-12-08T02:18:00.001-08:00

Swimming has always been my passion and I just love it. Having shifted into a wheelchair did not stop me from swimming. On the contrary it made me even more determined and it increased my will power and stamina. The opportunity to move freely and have all the freedom I can get gives me a lot of satisfaction and comfort.

Overcoming my Biggest Challenge

Having been sitting in a wheelchair the whole day and shifting into a swimming mode is a refreshing change to say the least. It is true that the incident which happened, while I was swimming did have a telling effect on me and I was shaken up. I decided to take it as a challenge and not become apprehensive about it. By becoming scared and afraid would not solve the problem but would make matters worse. It did take me around a couple of months to overcome my fears but at the end of the day I was successful in overcoming it.

Swimming is also my biggest motivation in life and I get the motivation bys setting a number of laps I have to achieve. My biggest sense of victory would be when I see other normal people unable to swim and when I see myself swimming despite having a handicap. This joy is further made sweet, when I see people coming up to me and acknowledge my effort and determination while swimming. A good swim always propels me into a very happy mood.

When my doctors in England hear about my swimming and doing 20 laps on a regular basis, they are very impressed and they ask me to keep it up. Swimming has been the key to my condition being in a stable position. It helps me to strengthen my legs, make my arms more powerful and increase my stamina. I would say that swimming is the best exercise for any human being as you get to use all parts of your body. It has helped me tremendously in my quest to becoming fit and a strong willed person.

My swimming coach

My swimming coach has been with me for a number of years and has worked very hard with me. He is always standing there by the side when I do my laps and encourages me a lot. Meraj which is his knows me so well now that he can read my face now and can tell when I am in trouble. Meraj really deserves for making sure that I swim feeling relaxed and confident. These days when I go for swimming a lifeguard is also present and also is in the pool when I am swimming.

As Meraj has to take care of all the kids in the pool, the lifeguard takes care of me. I would say that having two people is much better and it also lessens the pressure on Meraj to an extent.Another change to the swimming pool which was due for some time has been the pool being covered now. It is really a refreshing change as before the scorching sun used to beat down on the pool with all its intensity.

The result was that it made swimming very uncomfortable in the summers and the water used to be boiling hot. The temperature of the water used to be higher than the temperature outside. We used to see people not come for swimming because of the heat and lot of complaints started from people to cover the pool. Ultimately the pool was covered last year and it has made a tremendous difference. The water has become cool as the sun does not beat down on it like it used to in the past.

Advantages of having helpers

Getting up in the morning and going to the washroom is not a simple task for me being physically challenged? I do have the benefit of having helpers who assist me in getting up going to the washroom and getting dressed. A helper also shaves for me and with the assistance of two people I go in my tub to take a bath. When I have finished taking a bath the same procedure is applied to get me out.

For getting dressed I again require the help of two people. I do have a lift near my room on which I can go down and I do require one person to be on the lift with me. Getting into the car requires help from my driver to make me sit in the car. It is not possible for me to drive the car because of my legs not being strong enough. I do wear a seat belt with the help of my driver.

Even at the office I do require help to come up the lift and in my office. Going to the washroom at the office is done with the help of two people. I do need help at the office for getting me water and for putting my ipod in my ears.

In fact I do have a helper at the office who sets up my computer and brings coffee and my lunch for me. He also does simple tasks such as helping me with the making of cheques and bills for me plus receiving various documents. I also take him with me to the swimming pool and he also helps me to get in and out of the pool along with another person. I also require help to take a shower after a swim.

So as you can see that the helpers, I have play a very pivotal role in my overcoming the challenge of doing routine things despite being in a wheelchair. I have been fortunate enough to have found very helpful and caring people where ever I go including restaurants, cinemas, shops and even going to schools, offices for giving a talk.

Places not being wheelchair friendly

As I have always stressed in my articles as to how accessible places in Karachi are for wheelchairs. Unfortunately not much although a lot of work is being done to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. In my opinion accessibility is the major hurdle and I can highlight the problems I face at certain places.

When I do go to give motivational talks at schools or colleges, there is always the issue of the building being wheelchair friendly or not. In the case of the building not being accessible to wheelchairs which is often, my chair has to be lifted by other helpers which is not at all a pleasant experience for me.

Swimming not a problem for me

I swim at Sindh Club and the pool there is also not wheelchair friendly. For me to get in the pool I require the help of 2 people and similarly for getting out the same process is required. Once in the pool I do not have any problems as there is a railing to hold onto at the end of both sides of the pool. So swimming is not a problem for me. There is a life guard with me in the pool as long as I swim. My coach also stands outside the pool keeping an eye on me. So swimming without having a problem is definitely a big advantage and a blessing for me.

Accessibiity the biggest hurdle for physically challenged people in Pakistan

Similarly I face the problem of accessibility when I go out to restaurants for a meal with friends. Although I do make sure that the restaurant I am going to is wheelchair friendly. Although we know that majority of the restaurants in Karachi are not wheelchair friendly, having a lot of stairs. So my chair has to be lifted by a couple of helpers at such places. I can say that with helpers available at all places curtails my problem of going to places which do not cater to physically challenged people.

Challenges for the Physically Challenged

2009-12-08T02:07:00.000-08:00

Living in Pakistan can be quite a test for physically challenged people in wheelchairs. The reason is that Pakistan is not wheelchair friendly at all; there are no ramps or lifts available in most public places, bathrooms are not adapted and transport is not easily available either.

Living up to and facing the Challenges

As Pakistan is my home I have gotten used to facing all types of challenges but at times it can be very frustrating and annoying. I have become a motivational speaker and visit various schools, universities and corporate offices to give lectures. I can tell you from first-hand experiences that getting to these venues is no easy task! I recall going to one of the leading business schools of Karachi to deliver a lecture. On arriving there I found out that there was no ramp or lift available. My lecture was on the 2nd floor and my chair had to be lifted by helpers. To say the least, this was not an enjoyable experience for me. During my lecture I made sure to emphasize the point that the building was not wheelchair friendly. Now, I always find out beforehand if the building where I will be giving my lecture is wheelchair friendly.

Restaurants should be more accessible to wheelchair users

Similarly I face problems when going to restaurants that have stairs and do not cater for physically challenged people. My chair has to be lifted at such restaurants, which is quite a nerve wrecking experience. Once I remember being invited for dinner at a restaurant which was in a basement. As there was no lift, I refused to go there. Similarly, it was impossible for me to go to a leading café in Karachi because of the non availability of a lift and I missed out on all the fun. Most leading cinemas of Karachi are also not accessible for the physically challenged. It requires great effort and determination for people in wheelchairs to go anywhere. We can also not rule out the risk of injury when a wheelchair is being lifted or carried.

Could this be one of the main reasons why we do not see people with disabilities in public places?

Why is our society so ignorant about the problems faced by disabled people

One important thing which I forbgot to mentiyon is the lack of toilets for the disabled in public places. Even in the leading hotels in Karachi we do not find a wheelchair friendly toilet which causes a lot of discomfort for me. I am lucky to own a car and have helpers with me to take me to all kinds of places. What about disabled people who don’t have this help?

In addition, I have noticed that people tend to stare at a person in a wheelchair when he goes out in public. This makes the person in the wheelchair feel very unwelcome as if he is not a part of society.

On the other hand when I travel to England it is totally wheelchair friendly and I do not have to think about this problem at all. Their public transport, including buses and taxis, have ramps thus making it easy for the physically challenged people to travel. I can go on and on to highlight the various advantages as shops, cinemas and restaurants all cater fully for people with all types of disabilities.

I feel that the main difference between England and Pakistan is the attitude of the people and the way they think about physically challenged people and how they show their feelings. People in England appear to be very caring and more humane in every way. In Pakistan, like I wrote earlier, people tend to stare at you.

On the other hand, I do feel that people have started to understand the rights of the disabled society of Pakistan. Recently Pakistan has signed the UN Convention for protecting the rights of the disabled society . I do believe that is a step in the right direction.

Equal opportunities must be provided to disabled people

There are many organizations working for the rights of disabled people. The media has also played a very important role by giving coverage to disabled people including my interview on various television channels. It is a very important step to highlight the point of view of people with disabilities. Through such efforts we can hope to follow in the footsteps of a country like England and make Pakistan a wheelchair friendly country where physically challenged people have the same opportunities as those without wheel chairs.

” In the midst of winter, I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer".

England- wheelchair friendly country

2009-12-08T01:54:00.000-08:00

England for me is like a second home as I go there every year for my annual medical checkup. I am familiar with all the famous shops and sight seeing sites in London. I love going there and the main reason for my liking is England being so wheelchair friendly and catering to all types of disabilities.

What a contrast to Pakistan

I remember going to England in 2007 after a gap of about 10 years and there being a feeling of apprehension. The reason being that it was the first time I was going to England, since being transferred in a wheelchair. There were numerous things running through my mind as to how I would survive over there and would I be able to enjoy there. These thoughts were quickly banished from my mind once I arrived in London and saw all their facilities. It was such a refreshing change from back home where the facilities leave a lot to be desired.

Arriving at Heathrow Airport was the beginning of how much England catered to the physically challenged people. They had a separate walk away space for the people in a wheelchair to come down from the terminal. Having one look at the city of London made me realize that I was in for a great time and all my apprehensions were laid to rest.

London like I said is totally wheelchair friendly and you find a number of physically challenged people on the streets, in restaurants or at cinemas. I remember going to watch a movie in London and being taken through a special entrance which had no stairs. It is the amount of concern and interest they show in protecting the rights of disabled people. These are the things which make me look forward to visiting England every year.

Everything made so comforting in England

The one thing which stands out above all is their public transport. Almost all their buses have got rams at their entrance and traveling in a bus is such a joy. I have the good fortune of my father knowing a taxi driver for a long time and he is such a great guy. In his taxi he has got a ram which makes it so easy for me to come into the taxi. I have really become friendly with him and he is so caring. Last year I and my friend went sightseeing all over London in his taxi. One of the highlights of my visit this year was going to Wimbledon with him. We took a tour of Wimbledon with an official. During this tour we were shown the various courts of Wimbledon, the famous Henman hill and the media room. During our last stop which was at the centre court, the official told us that it was only because of me being in a wheelchair were we allowed to come to the centre court. We were right at the centre court and it was such a special feeling. The place to sit for the disabled during the matches was right behind the centre court and the view was spectacular. At that moment I could not help but feeling privileged and how much the people at Wimbledon cared for the physically challenged people. Even all the officials at the Wimbledon shop and the museum were so friendly and went out of their way to do things for me.
It is such a blessing and an advantage to know that Brian (the taxi driver) will be there in London whenever I visit to show me around.

People going out of their way to do things

I went to various other places including Madame Tussads and various shops including HMV, Nike Town and Marks and Spencer. Everywhere I found out that the people were extremely caring and friendly towards me. All the shops in London had lifts which made it accessible to go to the upper floors without a problem. I remember going to HMV and I had to get a cd from the second floor. An official of HMV came up to me and offered to go up and get the compact disc for me. This really made me feel so happy and welcome at HMV and wanting to go there again and again.

Exotic parks

Now I will come to the parks in London, which are so exotic and breath taking. The two most famous parks are Hyde Park and Regent’s Park. Any type of person for instance physically challenged or with any other disability can go for a walk there and soak the beautiful atmosphere in. The view is so beautiful and scenic and you can easily spend a few hours there. There is so much peace and tranquility over there. I remember going with my dad to Kensington Gardens and spending a few hours over there. One could see so many physically challenged people enjoy themselves there. That is another advantage of living in England and having so many different parks for physically challenged people to go and enjoy life.

Caring attitude of the people

I feel that the reason for England being so wheelchair friendly lies in the attitude of the people towards physically challenged people In England we see people very helpful towards a person in a wheelchair. I would like give my own example where I was going with my parents and suddenly after hitting a gutter, I almost fell from my chair. At that point a man dressed in a suit helped me in my chair. The point I am trying to make is that people over there are very caring and more humane in every way. The people there consider the disabled community to be a important part of the society. It is a rule to have at least one person with a disability working in the office as to test what he is capable of doing and achieving.

I would say that the bottom line here lies in what the mind set of a person is. One cannot even think of constructing a building in England or Europe for that matter without it being accessible to the physically challenged. As England is wheelchair friendly as I explained, it will always remain my favorite vacation place and I will look forward to going there every year.