BAGHDAD (AFP) — When Iraq's Paralympic medal hope Zekra Zaki is furiously pumping iron at a crowded Baghdad gym she forgets that she has no legs.
"I don't feel disabled at all," the long-haired athlete told AFP after doing repetitive bench presses in training for the Beijing Paralympic Games later this year.
Competing in the 56 kilogrammes (123 pounds) category, she believes she can win a medal in China.
"If I win a medal I will dedicate it to my father's spirit and to my country," said Zaki, 27, who lost her legs in a car accident at the age of two.
"A victory will justify all the difficulties I have had to face to get this far," added the soft-spoken but powerfully built woman, perspiring from the exertion.
Zaki is Iraq's first disabled female athlete to qualify for the Paralympics which will be staged in September after the Beijing Olympic Games.
Six male weightlifters and a volleyball team will also be in Beijing to represent Iraq at the Paralympics.
Zaki has reason to be optimistic that she has a chance at a medal -- she is one of the best six disabled women weightlifters in the world, and last year won silver in the Afro-Asian championships in Cairo.
"Just to reach the gym where we train is difficult enough," said Zaki, referring to a small room crowded with weightlifters and equipment in a sports centre next to Baghdad's Al-Shaab football stadium.
"I have to take care of myself," she said. "With the help of my brother, I take a taxi to get to the gym and take another taxi to get home again."
Curfews, road closures because of security operations and violence in the streets often make it impossible to reach her place of training.
In the past few weeks, the already fragile security situation has been further eroded by bitter fighting in Shiite areas of Baghdad between militiamen and Iraq-US forces which has killed around 335 people.
Zaki's neighbourhood of Al-Baladyat is close to Sadr City where most of the fighting is focused.
She lives there with her mother and younger brother. Another brother was killed in the violence and her father died several years ago of natural causes.
The three remaining family members depend on the 180 dollars a month that the sports federation pays Zaki, but much of that goes on taxi fares.
"Is it fair that disabled athletes suffer such neglect in one of the richest countries in the world?" she asked. "Disabled athletes in other countries are given privileges which guarantee them a better way of living."
Her sentiments were echoed by male teammate Rassul Kadhim.
"I wish that disabled athletes would get more attention so that their suffering is eased and they are able to overcome their difficulties," he said.
"We train in a tiny, sweltering hall which lacks basic services. Yet at the same time the sports authorities expect us to perform like world champions at the Games," Kadhim said.
Team trainer Antranik Dekriss praised the courage of his athletes.
"Training under these conditions is difficult but we have to complete our mission," said Dekriss. "Everyone in the team has confidence and courage -- there is nothing better than that."
Conditions will improve when the team moves to Syria next month for intensive pre-Games training.
"The camp in Syria will offer better facilities. They will have enough time to prepare for the competition and get rid of their stresses," said Dekriss.
Weightlifting for disabled athletes requires power, strength and technique, the trainer added.
The competition follows the format of the Olympic Games except that lifters bench-press weights rather than use the "snatch" or "clean and jerk" method.
Weightlifting became a Paralympic event for the first time in 1964 at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Zaki believes the car crash in which she lost her legs was "God's will."
"Many able-bodied people have not achieved what I have been able to do," she said.
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