Mohammed Lafir
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
– Helen Keller.
Engaging in sport is more the exception than the rule in today’s busy lifestyle. Being born with Roberts Syndrome and going on to become a Paralympic athlete is not a straightforward path to follow. Playing wheelchair rugby – or “Murderball,” as it is also known – which involves possession of a ball and front-on collision tackles in steel-reinforced wheelchairs – is Ayaz Bhuta’s beloved profession.
Ayaz, in 2012, was selected for the GB development team to tour in the Czech Republic – where he was named The Best Player in Position. He has also won two European Gold Medals, a European Bronze Medal, a Fans’ Most Valuable Player Award at the World Championships, and competed at his first ever Paralympics in Rio 2016.
Here at FemAsia, we were delighted to talk with Ayaz Bhuta who likens himself to Jonah Lomu, the ‘dirty and vicious’ Paralympic athlete from Bolton.
When we first asked him how it was, to grow up with such a disability as a child, Ayaz said:
“I was the only disabled person in my primary school, which was quite surreal. Due to concerns about health and safety, my participation in sport in school was insufficient”.
And continued speaking about his childhood difficulties, by saying: “I couldn’t deal with how disability was treated when I grew up and was afraid to go out in my community as I had people stare at me because I was different. This led to me being a quiet individual, and I became very inactive, and eventually, I gained a lot of weight too, being lonely and alone, and looking at every other kid enjoying their childhood with adventures and experiments, I decided that I would one day play football with my friends during break time, and the teachers were shocked at how well I participated, which broke down many barriers and lead to me being a constant participant in sports”. Ayaz recalls that as being the turning point of his childhood.
He also spoke about his studies and career later on in life:
“I followed a few courses – and graduated too – and worked in an administration role as well as in a call centre. After four years of work, I decided to quit and focus on my Paralympic dream to compete at Rio 2016.
“My parents are from India and came over to the U.K. in the 70s. I live in a predominantly Indian area. I’m a big football fan and support Manchester United. I watch other sports like cricket, boxing, and tennis, but football is my primary love. I have a fear of dogs and public toilets (weird, I know)”.
To our question of whether this disability challenged him to work harder, Ayaz responded in his characteristically humble way:
“I’m not sure, as everyone (disabled or not) has to work hard, and be focused and passionate about achieving their dreams. People often ask me where I get the determination to succeed. My disability is all I’ve ever known, and I’ve just done what was in my capability. If I was given the opportunity to swap bodies with a fully able-bodied person, I think I’d be a little disorientated in such a scenario”.
We know that Ayaz is an outstanding wheelchair rugby player. We were curious to know what other sports he had played.
“During secondary school, I tried wheelchair fencing – I just wanted to hit people with a sword as hard as I could for some reason, which infuriated the coach. I mentioned earlier about my college days, where I struggled with how society dealt with disability, and I was a very closed individual.
I was pushed to attend a Wheelchair Basketball training session, which opened my eyes as I was around other disabled people, pushing fast and falling out of chairs. I took to the sport well and played for a couple of years before joining Wheelchair Rugby. Basketball was a non-contact sport, meaning a player can’t smash into another player’s chair – something I never grasped, as I got sent off quite often!”
Ayaz thinks that everyone has to work hard to achieve what they want in life irrespective of their gifts and abilities. He feels that disability is not a barrier to Life.
He fondly reminded us that the sport he chose has wholly changed him; it allowed him to become more confident and fitter, to travel the world, and make a career which he loves and is passionate about.
Talking about the real motivation that drives him, Ayaz explained that he loves the team environment: “We work hard and have lots of fun along the way.
Although being a 2 x European Champion, my motivation is to chase that World World Championship at the Paralympics”. That is the foremost goal that drives Ayaz forward.
Ayaz also ventured to offer his suggestions on dealing with depression. There cannot be a better person to provide insight as to how one can overcome depressing experiences.
“I feel the best way to fight depression is to talk about it with someone you trust or seek professional help. Go to your doctor, and they will point you in the right direction. One thing that has helped me is to appreciate what I have and remember all the good times, even in dark times. I feel, as a Muslim, I find a lot of peace in praying.
I think once my eyes were opened about how disability was treated and looked at in the Asian community; I felt something inside me to prove people wrong and show people how to see the ability, not the disability. I wish to be a catalyst for change.
Change how disability is perceived in the Asian community. I hope to inspire other disabled people to achieve their dreams”.
Ayaz rewound to his childhood for a recap of another important turning point in his life.
“I have tried to build my public speaking career by offering my services to schools to give inspirational talks during assemblies. I find it very rewarding as I can witness what impact my story has on the children. I’d like to do this across the many schools we have across the country, to raise awareness about disability”.
Ayaz used these public talks and programs to motivate and elevate the status of the children who are going through the same experiences.
We did not forget to ask about the female athletes, and Ayaz said:
“In recent years, women’s sport has started to get the recognition it deserves, for example, the women’s cricket/football teams and the women’s gold medal-winning team in hockey at Rio 2016.”
In Paralympic sports, many women medalists are doing great work to raise women’s profile in sports. I think the opportunities are there, and equality should be for all. Wheelchair Rugby is the only sport in Olympic and Paralympic sports that has a mixed gender team.” Ayaz responded.
Ayaz believes that his most significant achievement so far has been the opportunity to compete at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.
“This is the highest level I could compete at; I am still chasing that Paralympic medal, hopefully at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics!” he told us, with vigour.
We also talked about Nihilism; which is gaining popularity among youngsters today as they seem to believe that life is pointless.
“There needs to be a support network in place to support the youngsters who will guide them to where they want to go in life,” says Ayaz.
We finally asked him to tell us what question he dislikes being asked the most by the media.
He quickly responded: “What’s your favourite Rugby team, and how do you think England will perform? Although being a Wheelchair Rugby player, I have no interest in Rugby Union or Rugby League (odd I know!), I’ll support the England team during a Six Nations or a World Cup tournament, but I honestly don’t understand the game, and find it an awkward question to answer when asked about this in media interviews”.
This was one of the most captivating interview conversations that we have ever had. Ayaz’s story is all about resilience and believing in yourself to achieve your dreams.
All his life, Ayaz has had to prove to people that he is good enough, and that, with hard work, you can show people you can do whatever you want in life.
He has sailed through difficult phases and conquered them with enormous courage.
We at FemAsia wish Ayaz Bhuta all the very best in his future endeavours.
