Lebanese Ministry of Information
“Disability is a state of mind,” declared the posters decorating the Grand Serail ballroom at Tuesday’s launch of paralyzed athlete Michael Haddad’s expedition to the North Pole, hosted by Prime Minister Saad Hariri. On the posters, Haddad wears a body brace, hangs from a massive boulder, and smiles. After a jet ski accident at age 6 that fractured his spine and paralyzed him from the chest down, doctors told him he would never walk again. Haddad now holds three world records in extreme walking and climbing.
Hariri addressed Haddad personally in a speech he made at the launch, saying, “You inspire me today with the many, many challenges I face. May God grant you success and may God bless the young who fulfill their dreams.”
With the help of a steel body brace, 36-year-old Haddad has trekked 60,000 steps in the mountains of Lebanon, scaled the iconic Raouche rock and snow-shoed up to the highest point in the Levant (Qornet al-Sawda). His next venture, a 100-kilometer trek to the North Pole, will take him out of Lebanon and into the global spotlight.
Haddad attaches symbolic and political significance to each expedition. Carrying a cedar tree or unity flag on his back, Haddad has sought to raise awareness about reforestation, water pollution and climate change-induced catastrophe.
His North Pole mission, under the title “The North Pole Expedition, A Journey for Humanity,” in particular aspires to raise the alarm about the ongoing Arctic melt due to global warming.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNDP resident representative, called Haddad’s project “inspirational” for the United Nations, and similarly spoke of Haddad’s feats as indicative of the way the international community will tackle pressing problems like climate change. “Michael’s potential to literally plunge into ice water that will kill him symbolizes the fragile position of our planet today.”
In addition to his physical feats, Haddad has also collaborated with the engineering team at the Lebanese American University School of Medicine to revolutionize the current exoskeleton that aids his movement, making it lighter and less costly.
The launch opened with a speech by Dr. Joseph Jabbra, president of the Lebanese American University, who described studies the university’s doctors also conducted on Haddad’s brain that determined he possesses a rare ability to push past physical restrictions. “His [brain] doesn’t understand his body saying no,” Jabbra said.
In an attempt to relate Haddad’s superhuman achievements to the Parliament’s efforts to address the challenges facing Lebanese society, Hariri said: “Just like you overcame your disability, we will overcome hopelessness and despair. You inspire me and make all my challenges [seem] easy.”
The Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani also addressed the attendees, echoing Hariri’s statements. “Haddad launched his journey for the sake of humanity,” Hasbani said. “Under the patronage of our youthful premier, our nation will follow in his steps.”
