Although we're under strike, war and destruction...
..I want to move on.
I want to keep doing sport and open my own gym.
War gave me the motivation to keep practising sport.
Regardless of war, we will survive.
(IN THE DARKEST CORNERS)
(OF WAR TORN NATIONS)
(THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT ENDURES)
(ATHLETES UNDER FIRE)
(AHMAD AL-SAWAS)
(ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS, SYRIA)
(IDLIB, SYRIA)
I first started training when I was six years old.
When I entered the national championship
I felt joy, excitement and determination.
(SYRIAN GYMNASTICS FEDERATION TRIALS 2009)
I won the first place, which qualified me
for the national Olympics team.
(AHMAD BECAME SYRIA'S NATIONAL GYMNASTICS JUNIOR CHAMPION)
(IN 2011)
(THE CIVIL WAR ERUPTED ACROSS SYRIA)
(KILLING MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE AND DISPLACING MILLIONS)
(AHMAD WAS LIVING IN ALEPPO AT THE CENTRE OF THE CONFLICT)
I opened a gym.
I tried to take the children away from war,
get them into sport and teach them.
One day...
because of the heavy shelling in Aleppo,
gymnasts were missing and few attended training.
A few days later...
I got injured.
A barrel bomb was dropped.
My injury was serious.
The shrapnel hit my eye,
and affected me.
(AHMAD'S GYMNASIUM WAS DESTROYED)
(HE LOST EVERYTHING)
(HE FLED ALEPPO ALONG WITH 30,000 OTHER CIVILIANS)
(AHMAD CARRIED HIS DREAM OF OPENING A GYM TO IDLIB)
(SYRIA)
(ALEPPO)
(IDLIB)
I want to open a gymnastics hall,
to take kids away from war and bombing.
To help them forget the bad memories
and the distress they've seen.
That's Hadi!
He's playing football
with the neighbour's children.
He reminds me of myself
when I used to play with my sport mates.
Shoot it higher!
What a jump!
As you see, this is just a public park.
It's a children's playground,
but I'm doing some fitness exercises here,
in addition to simple gymnastics techniques.
Bravo!
I decided to open a gymnastics club
to train you.
I welcome anyone who would like to join.
Sport is important,
it gives hope to people.
It veers them away from war and its sorrows.
(TO BUILD HIS GYMNASIUM AHMAD MUST START FROM SCRATCH)
I've been told there's a hall.
I'm going to view it as I heard it suits gymnastics.
I'm entering the gymnastics hall now.
This is the gymnastics equipment
that remained in the hall.
Some simple equipment remained,
such as the flying rings, for example.
It all needs some repairing...
like this one.
It pops up...
..and it's shaky.
All of it needs repairing.
I will need money
to buy or fix some equipment
and to pay the rent.
Installation fees and clothing.
Indeed, I'm afraid that after all this,
after I've inspired kids to dream of sport,
the warplanes will bomb
and destroy everything I have built.
Run... Run... The warplanes are here. Get down now!
Before they bomb us.
Come on.
Run... Run... Run...
Run faster,
rush to the basement.
Go to the basement now.
Come on, sit here.
(OVERNIGHT AHMAD HID FROM THE THIRD AIRSTRIKE THAT WEEK)
This destruction you see
was caused by a warplane that hit the area with a barrel bomb
leaving all the people inside dead.
I was doing some gymnastic techniques
in the street.
I felt pressure on my head and eye.
The shrapnel in my eye had moved.
The doctor told me I need treatment soon.
I need surgery,
and it can be dangerous.
I have to go to Turkey since we lack treatment here.
It has become very hard to go to Turkey.
They shoot at people who try to cross.
What if they don't let you in?
What can I say?
I'll lose my eye.
(MORE THAN 6,500 SYRIANS SEEK REFUGE IN TURKEY EACH DAY)
(LESS THAN 100 ARE ACCEPTED)
(AHMAD HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO FOCUS ON HIS RECOVERY
(AND LEAVE IDLIB)
Hadi is seven years old now.
Try this one.
I should pack my stuff,
my documents for surgery...
..and the rest of documents
I need for travelling.
God willing, I'll start the trip to Turkey...
..for this surgery.
I'm saying goodbye to Idlib.
(AHMAD WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY FEW ALLOWED ACROSS THE BORDER)
(AHMAD RECEIVED MEDICAL TREATMENT IN TURKEY)
(AND IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A FULL RECOVERY)