Egyptian swimmer who tried to cross English Channel honored by Sisi

CAIRO – 10 November 2017: The first Egyptian swimmer with Down Syndrome who tried to cross the English Channel, Mohamed al-Husseini, is one of the youth who were honored by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in the closing ceremony of World Youth Forum (WYF).

Husseini, 18, attempted to enter the Guinness World Records as the first swimmer with Down Syndrome to cross the English channel.

Husseini is training under the supervision of coaches from the Stroke for Egypt Academy (SFEA), a swimming association. He spends more than 10 hours a day training in the open waters of Egypt’s Red Sea city, Hurghada.

In an earlier statement to Egypt Today, Husseini Taj Al Din, the swimmer’s father, said his son Mohamed managed to swim 6.2 kilometers in two hours and 15 minutes.

"Mohamed has been in a training camp for three years in Hurghada, and we only get to see him for a day and a half every week,” he said.

The WYF kicked off on Saturday in Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai under the auspices of President Sisi, bringing together 3,000 youths represented by 60 delegations from around the world.

The seven-day gathering witnesses the participation of official youth representatives over 18-years-old, leaders of various youth networks, heads of state, media figures and around 250 young Egyptian expats. It is held under the slogan "We Need to Talk."

Concluding the five-day forum, President Sisi announced on Thursday the recommendations of the international event that came to an end.

The recommendations include assigning the organizing committee of the WYF to take measures and turn the forum into an international center concerned with Arab, African, and international dialogue among the world’s youths.