December 22, 2025, began like many days in my life – packed, restless, and unforgiving. I was in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where winter had wrapped the city in silence. Snow fell gently, yet relentlessly. The temperature hovered below zero, biting through layers of clothing and fatigue alike.
As dawn broke, I boarded my first flight – Dushanbe to Delhi. A journey of nearly 1,350 kilometres, around 3.0 hours in the air, crossing borders, time zones, and climates. When the aircraft descended into Delhi, the contrast felt surreal – 22°C, sunlight replacing snow, warmth replacing numbness.
There was no pause. From Delhi to Hyderabad – another 1,250 kilometres, roughly 2 hours of flight – followed by a 3-hour layover that felt longer than it was. And then the final leg: Hyderabad to Calicut, close to 725 kilometres, carrying me not just across India, but toward a meeting that would quietly redefine my understanding of strength.
By the time I landed in Calicut (Kozhikode), exhaustion sat heavily on my shoulders. Yet, something deeper pulled me forward.
Next day early morning alongside Dr.Thouseef Ahmed Madekeri, we headed straight to a school event and other meetings followed by another surprised meeting organised with warmth and purpose by M. Dawood Sahib. I assumed it would be another meaningful gathering.
I was wrong. That evening, I met history disguised as humility. Meeting a Warrior, Not in Armour – but in assistive limbs. The special guest was introduced simply.“Saeed Asim… and his father.”No grand announcement. No dramatic buildup.
Yet, the moment I saw him – calm, composed, eyes filled with clarity far beyond his age – I knew this was not an ordinary young man.
Muhammed Aasim P, born on 1st February 2006, a native of Velimanna, Kozhikode, Kerala, came into this world with 90% physical disability.What most people don’t know – what history often forgets – is that doctors advised his parents to abort him.They spoke of limitations.Of suffering.Of a life not worth living.
But Muhammed Shaheed and Jamseena, his parents, chose faith over fear. They chose love over medical predictions. They chose to accept Allah’s will wholeheartedly, ready to face every consequence – together.
That decision did not just give birth to a child.It gave birth to a movement.
A Child Who Changed a Village Before He Changed the World
While most children learn to write alphabet, Asim learned to question injustice.As a student of Velimanna Government Lower Primary School, he noticed something adults had accepted for decades – the school stopped at lower primary. Children had to travel far or drop out.
From a wheelchair, Asim challenged the system.He wrote letters.Filed petitions.Knocked on doors of power.
His fight reached the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission, and the Kerala High Court.
The result?
- The school was upgraded to an Upper Primary School.
- Today, over 800 students study there.
And Asim didn’t stop.Now, the fight to upgrade it to a High School stands before the Honourable Supreme Court of India.A boy with 90% disability carried the educational future of an entire village on his shoulders.
No One Should Drown Because They Don’t Know How to Swim
Asim once did not know how to swim.Yet, when he learned that around three people drown every day in Kerala, he decided fear had no place in purpose.What followed stunned the nation.He swam over 800 meters across the mighty Periyar River – in 1 hour and 1 minute.Not once.Not twice.“More than 40 times.”
This earned him recognition from:
- Asian Book of Records,
- India Book of Records, and
- World Records Union.
They began calling him “The Warrior of Periyar.”But Asim never celebrated records.He celebrated lives saved.
From a Wheelchair to the World’s Biggest Stages
To push his school’s cause further, Asim undertook a 52-day wheelchair journey, covering 450+ kilometres from Velimanna to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.No luxury.No shortcuts.Only belief.
In 2021, the world noticed.Out of 169 nominations from 39 countries, Asim became one of the Top 3 Finalists of the International Children’s Peace Prize, announced by Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu’s foundation – a platform that once honoured Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg.
The Pool Where History Was Rewritten
Then came sports.Not sympathy sports.Competitive sports.At the National Para Swimming Championships, Asim didn’t just participate – he dominated.
- 9 Gold Medals at Kerala State level (3 consecutive years)
- 3 Gold Medals with National Records at the 24th Nationals (Goa)
- Awarded Best Para Swimmer of the Year, from the Chief Minister of Goa
In Paris, at the Para Swimming World Series, he became the first Indian S2-category swimmer to receive international classification.
Today: World Rank: 8th and Asia Rank: 2nd. Yet, he remains largely unknown to the Indian community.
From Velimanna to the FIFA World Cup
In 2022, Asim walked onto football’s biggest stage – the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He met Ghanim Al Muftah, walked alongside Messi, Mbappé, Giroud, and shared the field during the Argentina vs France Final.A boy once advised to be aborted…Now walking with legends.
Asim says:
“A person becomes incomplete only when fear conquers the mind.”
He dreams of flying in an airplane.Of climbing Mount Everest.Of representing India at:
- 2026 Asian Para Games,
- Commonwealth Para Games, and
- 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
He serves millions through his foundation – AasimVelimanna Foundation, guided by one motto:“Embracing the Inclusive Excellence.”
A Message for Parents, Children, and All of Us
That evening at Calicut beach, watching Asim sit beside his father – quiet, grounded, grateful – I felt something shift inside me.
This was not just a success story.It was a lesson in acceptance.
To parents: Never fear Allah’s decree. The child you are asked to abandon may be the one destined to inspire the world.
To children and youth: Your limitation is not your body; it is your belief.
To all of us: Thank the Almighty for whatever He has given. Every challenge is a hidden invitation to rise.
From snowfall to shoreline…
From silence to standing ovations…
From a wheelchair to the world’s top stage…
Saeed Asim is not just climbing records.He is lifting humanity with him.And his life whispers a truth we must never forget:“If I can do it, so can you.”