Damascus, Syria - Today Iraq’s many survivors of car bombings and terrorist attacks have a great number of role models to look to. The Iraqi Paralympics Committee and Weightlifting Federation have come together to ensure that disabled Iraqi weightlifters/powerlifters have as great a chance to compete in the Paralympics as other sports, such as the swimming events.Hayder Fahad met up with members of the Paralympic branch of the Weightlifting Federation before they journeyed to Greece for the European Open Championship. Because of the violence in Baghdad, it has become more and more difficult for athletes of all types to train regularly in Baghdad. Those with disabilities find it even more difficult to navigate the dangerous and unpredictable streets.Because of these risks, the teams have been seeking training locations outside of Iraq. Under President Basher Assad, the Syrian Government has offered visas and facilities to many of Iraq’s athletes, including the...