KUCHING: Patience and perseverance. These are the two attributes Mohd Zulkiffli Mazeri learnt being the eldest of seven siblings.
And it's also thanks to these two attributes that he managed to overcome the tragic road accident that left him partially paralysed in 2014. He was only 19 then.
That and the support of his family ensured he did not continue to feel sorry for himself for long as he realised that he had to come to terms with his condition.
Little did he know too that when his family sent him to a rehabilitation centre in Melaka in 2016, it would be a turning point in his life as he found a new purpose through swimming.
He proved to be a natural and it was no surprise when the 29-year-old made the Penang team for the third time at the 2024 Sarawak Malaysia Para Games (Para Sukma).
"It took me over a year to bounce back because, being the eldest, I had to show my siblings a good example and that they must always be bold and strong to do whatever they want to.
"Undergoing rehab in Melaka was very helpful as I got the chance to see other persons with disabilities (PwDs) who were worse off than me. So, when I went back to Penang, I already had a sense of what I wanted to do with my life," he told Bernama at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre here today.
Earlier, Mohd Zulkiffli finished fifth out of eight participants in the men's 50-metre (m) butterfly S6/S7 (physical impairment) category by clocking 1 minute and 04.19 seconds (s).
Sabah's Shahafiq Abdullah (37.56s) was first, followed by Sarawak's Galang Jabai (44.72s) and Kedah's Muhammad Syafiq Azman (45.35s).
Mohd Zulkiffli said that during the one and a half years he was at the rehab centre, he tried various sports - fencing, archery and weightlifting. He didn't enjoy them but, when he was introduced to swimming, he excelled.
"I now train full time. I drive my modified car to go for training from Pekan Penaga to Universiti Sains Malaysia, which takes me about an hour or so.
"Since I am paralysed from the chest downwards, I work on strengthening my arms to improve my swimming time," he said.--BERNAMA