Celebrating World Bicycle Day with Special Olympics Athlete Al-Sayyed Curumthaullee
Al-Sayyed is the current president of the athlete leadership council
Since 2018, World Bicycle Day has been celebrated on June 3. The United Nations passed a resolution to recognize “the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport.”
To help celebrate World Bicycle Day, Al-Sayyed Curumthaullee, a cyclist from Special Olympics Mauritius, shares his athlete leadership journey.
My name is Al-Sayyed Curumthaullee. Since 2013, I am have been a part of Special Olympics Mauritius and I am the current President of the Athlete Leadership Council of Mauritius. In my free time, I like to learn about mechanics and play sports.
People used to bother me all the time when I was growing up, asking what will he do in the future? I was fortunate as my parents never gave up on me and helped me to find a specialist school. At first I was very aggressive, because people didn’t understand the challenges that I faced. When I first joined Special Olympics I was very shy, I did not speak to many people, but with time my confidence grew. When I was young, people would make fun of me, but today I am proud because of who I am.
Today I want to show the world who I am, and social media helps me to accomplish this. Why can’t people with intellectual disabilities show off what they are doing? I’m proud of the activities I take part in. I love riding my bicycle and helping other athletes who maybe can’t ride a bicycle. If I’m not confident, my fellow athletes will not be confident. I am a role model for them. Role models inspire people and if I don’t show off my power, my fellow athletes will not gain that trust in their own capabilities.
It’s all about trust, if you trust yourself, you will look into a mirror and love yourself. I used to be frustrated inside but now I know that I have to share my experiences, we are not different but equal.