Celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

At ten years old, Ahmed felt the skateboard hum beneath his feet for the first time. The park was a chorus of wheels on pavement, shouts of other kids, but for him, it was all movement, all feeling. Being unable to hear or speak, Ahmed had an exquisite experience. Balance came first, then speed, then the dizzying thrill of freedom. The coaches called out instructions he could not hear, but as Ahmed kept coming back to the park for days, another language found its way! What began as a challenge—silent, stubborn, uncertain—became his passion.

Ahmed’s indomitable spirit was the driving force to make steady progress as he first pointed out to a ramp he wanted to try with the coach. From that point, the boy continued to enhance his attention to details and build his skills, focusing on each challenge, learning until the challenge was behind him. With that natural desire, not only did Ahmed ride the skateboard, but he also embraced the joy of participating with others, determined to be an equal part of the skateboarding community. Inspired by Ahmed’s eagerness, the coaches continued to tailor their methods as he paved his own way through steady progress, always going beyond his comfort zones.

After four years of rigorous practice and passion-fueled effort, Ahmed entered a skateboarding competition hosted by Skate Park Project as part of a series of events for the International Day of Sport. Not only did he participate, but Ahmed excelled. He secured a remarkable second-place victory. Taking his place on the winner’s podium was a moment of triumph that embodied not only personal success, but also the culmination of every day's pursuit of excellence.

The Skate Park Project has become a catalyst for transformation that goes beyond the confines of the park. As a sport for social inclusion, skating currently empowers 15 children with special needs, breaking down physical and social barriers, equipping them with the resilience to overcome challenges. Throughout the years of the war in Syria, the park has welcomed and trained over a thousand children from displaced families and the local community—each carrying a special story of perseverance in a nation still healing.

#Sport4SDGs #Sportforsocialinclusion