Representing Greater Fort Lauderdale at the recent Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Abbas Karimi took home a silver medal in the 4×4 Freestyle Swimming Relay. Born without arms in war-torn Afghanistan, Karimi has been training for the competition with the Swim Fort Lauderdale Masters Swim Team at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center.
As a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Karimi is an ambassador for Visit Lauderdale, the tourism marketing agency for Greater Fort Lauderdale. The agency recently produced a video chronicling his training and efforts to promote the area as an all-inclusive city under its “Everyone Under the Sun” campaign.
Along with the recent silver medal at the Paralympic Games, Karimi has won six international medals and 25 national titles and secured a place on Team USA for the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Portugal.
“It’s one of the biggest things to happen to me in my swimming career,” Karimi says of joining the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team. “I never had that kind of partnership. After 12 years and lots of hard work, it’s happening. Living in Fort Lauderdale, it’s growing on me and being selected by the Visit Lauderdale team is a big honor for me and I will work so hard to make them proud and be the best ambassador and a good representative of the city.”
As an accessibility ambassador for Visit Lauderdale, Karimi will visit various places throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale and showcase their accessibility through various marketing campaigns.
