Insha Afsar’s physical disability has not deterred her from following her dream of participating in 2018 Paralympics
Insha Afsar lost a leg during the devasting earthquake that shook Pakistan on October 8, 2005. But she never let the disability to stop her from pursuing her passion.
“I’m a person that likes going fast, doing everything fast. I just like speed,” said Insha Afsar.
The 16-year-old Insha is now one of the top skiers from Pakistan and hopes to represent the country in the upcoming 2018 Paralympics in South Korea.
Insha Afsar was one of the thousands of victims who suffered from the devastating earthquake of October 2005. She lost her leg in 2005 when her school crumbled during a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that took the lives of 80,000 people and displaced three million others in the Kashmir region.
During that tragedy, Insha Asfer from Pakistan lost her leg when she was attending school in Kashmir region. But she did not lose hope and initially traveled to the United States of America, almost six months after the earthquake. There she underwent a medical procedure, and was fitted with a prosthetic leg at Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts.
During a consequent medical Ted and Rebecca Bent, who were residing in Washington, offered to look after Insha and send her to School. As she adjusted to life on the East Coast, her new friends invited her to go skiing. Ted said
“The skiing took and who would have imagined,” said Ted Bent.
Insha is now one of the top skiers from Pakistan and she is hoping to represent the country in the upcoming 2018 Paralympics which will take place in South Korea.
Insha said “For my family it’s kind of shocking because they don’t understand what skiing is in a way. We don’t have skiing in Pakistan so it’s hard for them to process the idea.”
“It’s not common for women to be athletes in Pakistan. Now I’m doing a sport that I love. That might inspire people, despite everything that is holding them back,” said Insha.