Are - Condemned by Polio, Sustained by Faith

When some years back, little Are Feyisetan suffered the misfortune of being one of the many victims of Polio vacine at seven, little did he know then, that he would grow to become the one, who would bell the cat for fellow unfortunate victims of the scourge.

But today, after putting in some years into power lifting, heaving the country into the silver medals brackets at the '95 All-Africa Games and having the nation's name written in gold during 1995 pre-Olympic Games Championship, Are the Egba Prince from Abeokuta, Ogun State, recounts how he rose from a limping disable athlete to be head soldier of fortune for the disables in the country:

"Somehow, I discovered that I can not do without other disable athletes. I would have gone abroad for a career in sports, but each time I look back, something tells me to stay back home and lend a helping hand to some others, who are not as blessed as myself.

"I love fighting for my fellow disable athletes. I see myself as the Mandela amongst the others - I have always told them that, there is ability in disability but that the problem, is identifying the leeway out.

"We have delved into various aspects of sport...basketball, tennis, table-tennis and all that, but there have been no success. Now, we are into Amputee Football and to a very appreciable extent, I can as the Co-Ordinator, tell you that we have made quite a remarkable headway.

"We have succeeded in linking up with the international body and what we have left, is for the Nigeria Football Association to formally endorse our existence. This would have been but for the crisis the soccer house," Are confessed.

Are won't be bothered by the financial crunch facing the teething peroid of the formation of the Amputee soccer in Nigeria; as he stated: "It's pretty difficult in terms of finance, but we will wade through the storming waters without sinking one day. Amputees play football all over the world so, why not in Nigeria?

"For now, I spend my money seeing that things go well but I am confident that, one day, which won't be long, everything would get better, the 1996 ATLANTA OLYMPIC GAMES 4TH-placed Power Lifter reassured nigeriasports.com

He disclosed that, what he is doing is to give disables a sense of belonging. "You see, some disabled think that being aggressive would solve their problems; they think that, people look down on them because of their disability. But this assumption is wrong...it is totally wrong. If we can get ourselves engaged in some meaningful activities, we would be as able as the able-bodied people.

"With some sponsors coming to our aid, things would go better and our fortunes would change Amputees can get married and have their children just like any other human being.

"For instance, I am married with children and my wife is a graduate of Agricultural Science...that is the feeling I am battling to restore in my fellow unfortunate athletes," Are, whose father is a polygamist and abandoned to be fended for by his mum alone at the age of seven, narrated, with no trace of fanning for sympathy on his face.

"I am a happy man...there is no room for frustration in my life because I strongly believe that, with faith in God and your personal determination, the sky is the limit," he recited as he bade us "Good night."