Dima Aktaa
Personal information | |
---|---|
Native name | ديما الأكتع |
Nationality | Syrian |
Citizenship | British |
Born | 1994 (age 29–30) Syria |
Occupation | Runner |
Sport | |
Sport | Athletics |
Disability | Leg amputee |
Dima Aktaa (
Biography
Aktaa was born in 1994 in Syria.[1] In August 2012 her home in Salqin, near Idlib, was bombed and her leg was removed in the subsequent explosion.[2][3][4][5] The family left Syria for Lebanon, where they lived for a number of years, before coming the United Kingdom as refugees in 2017.[3] She and her family were settled in Bedfordshire in 2018.[1] After receiving asylum and receiving a prosthetic leg, Aktaa took up running again, a sport she had been passionate about prior to losing her leg.[6][7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic she was part of a walking initiative that raised over £70,000 to support vaccination schemes in refugee camps.[2][5] As of 2022 Aktaa was in training to compete in the 100m at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[2]
Recognition
Aktaa's contributions to sport and disability awareness were recognised by her inclusion on the BBC's 100 Women list in 2022, one of eight Arab women included that year.[2][8][9][7] In 2020 she was recognised as a member of 'The Lionhearts' - an alternative England football squad.[2][10] The pop singer Anne-Marie wrote a song about her life.[4][2]
References
- ^ a b Wilkins, As told to Bridie (2022-10-25). "'I was told I'd never walk again. Now I run every day'". Women's Health. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ a b c d e f "BBC 100 Women 2022: Who is on the list this year? - BBC News". News. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ a b Blackledge, Richard (2021-09-08). "Beds runner who lost leg in Syria explosion sets sights on Paralympics". bedfordshirelive. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ a b "A Walk with Dima". Refugee Week. 2022-06-23. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ a b Speare-Cole, Rebecca (2020-06-14). "Disabled Syrian refugee helps raise £70k to protect camps from virus". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Hayel, Ibrahim (9 December 2022). "شابة سورية بقائمة النساء المئة الملهمات في العالم: تجربة قاسية وإنجاز غير مسبوق". Orient Net (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ Al-Bayan (in Arabic). Archived from the originalon 22 December 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ Fatima, Sakina (2022-12-07). "9 Arab women on BBC's 100 most influential women list of 2022". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Samaa Web Desk (2022-12-08). "Muslim women who made it to 'BBC 100 Women 2022' list". Samaa. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Association, The Football. "Dema Aktaa welcomed into England's Lionhearts squad by Ellen White". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 2022-12-27.