Achmat Hassiem


Achmat Hassiem is a South African swimmer who was injured in an attack by a great white shark. He competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics and he competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom.

Personal life

Hassiem was born on 6 May 1982 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. He attended Bergvliet High School in Bergvliet, a suburb of Cape Town.
In 2006 his right leg was severed by a four-and-a-half metre long great white shark whilst he was training for lifesaving exams at Muizenberg beach with his brother Tariq; the lower portion of his leg was subsequently amputated. Because of the manner in which he sustained his disability Hassiem is nicknamed "Sharkboy".
He is tall and weighs.

Swimming

Hassiem began swimming at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa following his accident. For competition he is categorised in sthe S10 classification, the classification for swimmers with the most physical ability. He is coached by Brian Button.
He first competed internationally for South Africa at the 2008 Summer Paralympics held in Beijing, People's Republic of China. He swam in the men's 100 metre backstroke S10 event finishing sixth in his heat in a time of one minute 1.61 seconds and failing to make the final.
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