Swimmer who lost his leg in motorcycle accident breaks two Guinness World Records
Omar Hegazy lost his left leg in 2015 but didn't let it deter him from making swimming history.
The 31-year-old Egyptian swimmer eclipsed two Guinness World Records last week, including the record for longest distance swimming underwater with one breath (185 feet, 4 inches) and longest distance swimming underwater with one breath with fins (251 feet, 7.68 inches).
"My source of motivation in the beginning was that I do not have much left to lose,” Hegazy told Guinness World Records in a statement. “I only got into swimming because I was a very angry. I found a way to I let out my anger and frustration, but it was also where I felt really free and capable.”
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Hegazy had his left leg amputated when he was 25 after a motorcycle accident in which he was run over by a truck, according to Guinness. Hegazy said he found inspiration from fellow amputee athletes, including Faisal Al Mosawi, a Kuwaiti diver who uses a wheelchair, who broke the record for the fastest 10-kilometer scuba dive, or more than 6 miles.
"My mental health was collapsing dramatically, and I started to have an identity crisis," he told Guinness. "I didn’t know what I was capable of."
Hegazy also is a motivational speaker to highlight how his disability hasn't hindered his achievements. In his athletic career, Hegazy has swum across the Gulf of Aqaba in 2017 and completed a 700-kilometer cycling challenge, or 435 miles, according to his website.
“Nothing beats the journey,” Hegazy wrote in an Instagram post taking in his records. "Enjoyed the friendships and the unconditional love I saw in the eyes of my friends, family and coaches.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Egyptian swimmer who lost his leg breaks two Guinness World Records
