Monday May 13, 2013

Blind student to swim the Penang Channel

GEORGE TOWN: A visually-impaired student is seeking to break the stereotype of disabled persons by swimming across the Penang Channel next Sunday.

Faiq Adnan who was born blind, will attempt the 5km from PPC North Point Swettenham Pier on the island to Bagan Ajam on the mainland. He is expected to take two hours.

“I want to prove to everyone that disabled persons are just as capable as regular people,” said the second-year Malay Studies student at Universiti Malaya.

“Because I cannot see, it will be difficult for me to swim in a straight line. I also have to complete the swim before the tide goes down and have to be careful of jellyfish” he said.

“I swim 40 laps twice a day, four days a week to build the stamina needed for the 5km swim,” he said yesterday.

Faiq, 23, will be swimming in a cage together with his coach, Datuk Ooi Win Juat, who will guide him. The swim is organised by the Penang Sports and Recreation for Disabled Persons Society in collaboration with the state Youth and Sports Department.

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