Elham Mahmid Rosin, 30, born in Um al-Fahem, an Arab Muslim city, is a leading player in the Israeli women's goalball team. She is, in fact, considered one of the founders being the first woman to play Goalball in Israel.
Elham holds a bachelor's degree in education and theater studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master's degree in psychodrama from the Seminar Hakibutzim. Elham was born with a genetic eye disease (achromatopia), color blindness and a very intense sensitivity to daylight. This disease has no cure. She is aided by the use of special glasses.
Elham was first exposed to goalball game when she was 15 at the blind club in Um al-Fahem. At first, she insisted on playing with the boys, until the Israel Paralympic Committee decided to try and form a girls' team. She was, of course, the first member. A team was built around her, and she was chosen to be the captain of the very new and very young team. For 8 years she led the team as captain to impressive achievements and served as a kind of mother and big sister to the young team members, until they became a like family.
The main achievement of the women national goalball team led by Elham are the 7th place in the 2016 Paralympic games, the silver medal in the 2019 European championship and qualifying to Tokyo Paralympic games. The team was adopted by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) disabilities organization, and the fact that she is Muslim never came up, not even when the team won first place and Hatikvah (the national anthem) was played, or when she was 'wrapped' in the Israeli flag.
Elham is a role model and inspiration for all. She shares her story through lectures and presentations in front of different Jewish and Arab population for co-existence between all citizens in Israel.
"Elham is a tremendous source of light and hope not just for Israel, but for the entire world," said Brian Grim, chair of the Para-Athlete Peace Prize committee. "Indeed," Grim said, "sometimes it's the ones who are visually impaired who can help the rest of us more clearly see the way forward towards peace."
Sessions
Para-Athlete Peace Prize - Elham Mahmid Rosin