DUBAI: Emirati athlete Aisha Al Mehairi is banking on the experience and confidence she gained from the last Paralympics to claim a big win in Paris.
Three years ago, Aisha Al Mehairi became the first Emirati woman to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
The rifle para shooter, a trainee from Dubai Resolved People Club, is preparing for his second Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 and will compete in the R4 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 and R5 – 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2 events.
Al Mehairi will be one of five shooters representing the UAE at the Shooting Para Sports Competition, which will be held at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, a venue familiar to athletes on the outskirts of Paris.
“I want to reach the top eight in Paris,” said Al Mehairi, a mother of five.
Controlling your emotions
He stressed that at Tokyo 2020, it’s all about shooters “gaining experience and learning how to control their emotions and breathing during the competition”.
“I qualified for Tokyo 2020 just six months after I started parasport shooting, so I went to Tokyo without much expectation,” said the 48-year-old shooter, who has won two Paralympic berths for Peru. She qualified for the Paris 2023 Games at last year’s world championships in Lima.
UAE athlete Aisha Al Mehairi is pleased with the experience she has gained in the years since the Tokyo Olympics. Image credit: Provided
Al Mehairi, who began his sporting journey as a boccia athlete in 2008, said the transition to parasport shooting was not difficult.
“It’s very smooth and I loved shooting for the first time in 2019. It’s a sport where I can challenge myself. It’s just me and the target. Plus, it feels like a more Emirati sport. I feel it’s in my blood. Holding a rifle makes me happy,” she said.
Aiming for a medal
In the past five years, Al Mehairi has won a total of four medals, including one gold, two silver and one bronze, at international World Cup competitions held in France (Châteauroux) and the UAE (Al Ain).
She praised the club’s support and the Emirates’ special attention to those with physical disabilities, while highlighting the challenges wheelchair athletes must face, from long flights to competitions to training.
“Today, thanks to digital media and media coverage, there is a lot more awareness about the challenges we face with disabilities. In the UAE, too, there is a lot of support and platforms from the government and organizations to help more para-athletes take up sport, develop as athletes and realise their dreams.”
Extensive support
She added: “There is a lot of support available to help this demographic thrive across different segments of society, including accessible transport, venues, coaches, support staff and people with knowledge of accommodating disabilities.”
Al Mehairi concluded that she has a secret to achieving her goals: “I believe that to achieve your goals you have to know your steps. I have a timeline written in a book to achieve my goals,” she said as she undertakes final preparations for Paris 2024 in Turkey.