Ep 5 - Nur Syahidah Alim - World No. 1 Para Archer

Syahidah was born with cerebral palsy. This condition affects the lower half of her body, which compromises her mobility, balance and posture. This has led to Syahidah finding it difficult to walk and stand for long periods of time. However, her parents didn’t give her preferential treatment over her able-bodied siblings. She was assigned the same amount of household chores and treated “as if I was ‘normal’ at home.” In fact, Syahidah wasn’t aware that she was born with different physical capabilities growing up. It was only when she enrolled into a mainstream primary school that Syahidah realised she was unlike her peers. Classmates wouldn’t let her join their basketball or badminton games, saying “you’re not fast enough” or “you’re gonna make us lose”.  But Syahidah had a secret weapon to get her through life: a ‘badass’ mum who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Syahidah’s story will inspire and encourage so many people. Her narrative is one of resilience, and not taking no for an answer. We ask her about some of the stereotypes and stigma she’s had to push through as someone with a disability. We get to know how she got into archery and how the sport has helped her on her journey. We also ask her how her mother’s refusing to give up attitude has helped to make her the person she is today, and what are some of the challenges her mother has helped her to overcome.