'Nothing is impossible': Diver breaks underwater wheelchair world record in Dubai


Ali Al Shouk
  • English
  • Arabic

From a promising footballer to Guinness World Record holder, Faisal Al Mosawi has defied the odds once again by becoming the world's fastest diver with an underwater wheelchair at Dubai Mall's Aquarium.

Mr Al Mosawi, 38, was born in Kuwait and played football at Al-Salmiya Sporting Club until a car accident in 2005 left him paralysed in the lower half of his body.

Two years after the accident, he discovered a passion for diving and has never looked back.

This record is for every individual who refuses to be defined by limitations
Faisal Al Mosawi

“After a series of operations with a hope to walk again, I was frustrated and isolated myself at home. But I decided to be a new person and pursue a different career path,” Mr Al Mosawi told The National.

Setting out to send a message to all people of determination that everyone can pursue their dreams, he went on diving trips in Egypt, Indonesia, the Maldives and Thailand to pursue his new hobby.

After breaking two world records in 2018 and 2022, Mr Al Mosawi decided to attempt a third in Dubai.

On Monday, Mr Al Mosawi completed the fastest dive using an underwater wheelchair, clocking a time of 37 minutes for 400 metres at Dubai Aquarium.

Faisal Al Mosawi celebrates with his Guinness World Record certificate. Photo: Wam
Faisal Al Mosawi celebrates with his Guinness World Record certificate. Photo: Wam

“I'm thrilled and excited. This achievement is a testament to the limitless capability of the human," he said. "I'm proud of showing my skills. I am immensely proud to demonstrate the capabilities of adaptive sports.

"This record is for every individual who refuses to be defined by limitations. Nothing is impossible.”

In 2018, he became the fastest 10km scuba diver in the world with a time of five hours and 24 minutes, breaking a record that was set by a scuba diver with no disability.

Four years later, he broke another world record by becoming the fastest snorkelling diver after travelling 1km in less than an hour in the Maldives.

Mr Al Mosawi trained for four months for his latest achievement, during which he practised by swimming and diving for 400 metres while carrying a 10kg chair or the same weight of diving equipment.

“I chose Dubai to break the record as it is a friendly city for people of determination," he said. "Dubai Mall is the busiest place and it helped to send my message, as many visitors watched me dive into the massive water tank."

After breaking the record, Mr Al Mosawi thanked his family, his training team and Dubai Sports Council.

“It was a tough challenge but I insisted on succeeding," he said.

"I'm living my life better than before the accident. I am married, have a daughter and overcame the challenges. It is like a dream."

Mr Al Mosawi, who has a bachelor's degree in finance, is also working as a life coach to inspire others.

“I'm a motivational speaker with more than 500 trainees per month," he said. "I hope my accomplishments will demonstrate to the world that people of determination are as capable of success as anyone else."

Stage result

1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09

2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal

3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation

4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma

5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott

6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb

7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC

8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT

9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar

10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time

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ASHES FIXTURES

1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27 
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8

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Surianah's top five jazz artists

Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.  

Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.

Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.

Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.

Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Zombieland: Double Tap

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone

Four out of five stars 

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It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus

To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.

The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.

SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land  once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.

But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.

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Updated: February 27, 2024, 12:39 PM`