OmanPride: Adventurous amputee scales mountains, dives in sea with artificial leg

More sports Sunday 14/January/2018 17:54 PM
By: Times News Service
OmanPride: Adventurous amputee scales mountains, dives in sea with artificial leg

Anyone who takes up scuba diving and mountain climbing is regarded as adventurous. What sets Ahmed Al Busaidi apart is that he does it with an artificial leg. The 35-year-old recalls his time after amputation as “awakening to a new life.” Al Busaidi enjoyed adventure sports even before he lost his leg. He said he wanted to continue enjoying the beauty of beaches, diving, fishing, and climbing mountains.
**media[806306]**
‘Accident changed my life’

Al Busaidi recalled the accident that changed his life. “Back in 2014, I was preparing for a camping trip. I realised I was short of some tools used for fishing, diving, and camping. So, I decided to drive my motorcycle to a nearby shopping mall. On my way back, the motorcycle suffered some sort of a technical failure, which led to a collision with a light pole. “Then, I was taken to hospital. The next day, they told me that my leg had to be amputated. I received the news calmly and accepted my fate,” he added.
**media[806308]**
However, Al Busaidi noted his life improved as he recovered from surgery. “Three months after the surgery, I travelled to Germany to get an artificial leg transplant. I stayed there for over two months,” he revealed.
**media[806307]**
Al Busaidi felt encouraged by how well he had adapted to the artificial leg. “I will never forget what the assistant doctor who made the artificial leg for me said. He told me that I was the first patient he had known who could walk wearing an artificial leg from the first day without any problems. “The doctor’s words encouraged me to train more and overcome the difficulties and pain I felt during rehabilitation.”
Back to diving
After six months of recovery, Al Busaidi vowed to start diving again. “After I returned home, I decided to start scuba diving again. I promised my friends that I would continue my hobbies and my life would be as normal as it had been before. I started training and I was able to dive 13 metres without a gas cylinder.
“This was great as before the accident, I could dive 15 metres. But the artificial leg felt strange.”
Al Busaidi then decided to take a free diving course with captain Yahya Al Houti. “I will never forget that he (Houthi) supported me until I reached a depth of 18 metres and got the certificate. I didn’t expect to do so well. I continued to participate in the Oman diving team and reached a depth of 26 metres in free diving, and I hope to reach 30 metres soon,” he added.
**media[806517]**
Mountain climbing
It was only a matter of time before Al Busaidi got back to climbing mountains again. “I will never forget the support I got from my coach Issa Al Suwafi. He taught me important skills. “I have come to learn that no matter how difficult things get around you, you can still succeed if you put your mind to it,” Al Busaidi stated. “I will pass on my passion for adventure to my children Khalil and Al Shaimaa,” he added.