Farhan Hadafo

Biography

Farhan Hadafo Adawe was born in Somalia to a father who worked as a mechanic. He came into the world with arthrogryposis, a condition that stiffens the joints and causes muscle contractures.

For his first six years, he lived in Somalia, but the condition brought him severe pain and paralysis, making everyday tasks difficult. Because Somalia’s healthcare system was poorly equipped to help him, his family sent him to Italy at age six to live with his aunts and undergo surgeries. The operations were successful, easing his pain and allowing him to become more active, though he still relied on a wheelchair.

Growing up in Turin, Hadafo developed a strong interest in sports, especially para-athletics. He specialized in the 100 and 200 meters, competing in the T52 disability class. In eighth grade, he won a school tournament in the 80-meter dash.

After watching the 2012 Summer Paralympics, he set his sights on becoming a Paralympian himself. A few years later, he broke the Italian national record in the T52 100 meters with a time of 18.83 seconds, which earned him a spot at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Just a month before the Games, he and his friends raised enough money to buy him a custom racing wheelchair.

At the Paralympics, Hadafo competed for Somalia because he did not yet hold Italian citizenship, making him the country’s first Paralympic athlete. In the T52 100-meter heat, he ran 18.49 seconds, setting an African record but not advancing to the next round.

In 2017, he was named the International Somali Award Sportsman of the Year, recognized for “his professionalism and talent that inspires many other young Somalis to achieve their goals,” though visa problems kept him from attending the ceremony in London. The following year, he took bronze in the 100 meters at the World Para Athletics European Championships. By 2020, he had become an Italian citizen.