Golden boy! Hampstead School pupils meet paralympic swimmer Dervis Konuralp

Published: 13 May 2010
by JOSH LOEB

A FOUR-time Paralympic swimmer helped inspire Hampstead School pupils when he spoke about his triumph over adversity.

Dervis Konuralp, who has won a total of 35 medals, including 14 golds, is severely visually impaired.

“I had to learn to adapt to be able to work around my disability,” said the 29-year-old. 

“The swimming was the first thing since learning about my disability that I could do with no real problems. In the pool, it was about my physical ability, not what I could see and couldn’t see.”

He added: “When I go to a tournament, I go out there to prove to everyone, including myself, that I am the best at what I do.”

After the talk on Tuesday, Dervis, who is aiming to compete at the 2012 Paralympics, met young people from the school who have excelled in sport, including 12-year-old Mirren Stuart who has won regional 50-metre butterfly swimming competitions and swims seven days a week as part of her training.