From Baghdad to Paris, Ahmed Kelly still making waves

Ahmed Kelly prepares to compete at Australia's Paralympic swimming trials in Brisbane.

Four-time Paralympian Ahmed Kelly knows what it takes to swim against a current of adversity.

Born in a Baghdad orphanage in 1991 without functioning arms and legs, a result of chemical weapons used during the Gulf War, Kelly was unable to walk for the first seven years of his life.

In 1998, a charity visited Baghdad's Mother Teresa Orphanage - and changed Kelly's life forever.

"An incredible lady called Moira Kelly brought me out to Australia to have a life-changing operation," he told AAP of the woman who went on to adopt him.

Kelly underwent major surgery when he was only nine years old to remove sections of his lower legs and be fitted with prostheses.

"I could wear prosthetic legs and be able to walk like everybody else, without any pain," he said.

"That's when I found my passion for sports."

Raised in Victoria, Kelly fell in love with AFL - until it became too challenging on his knees and he was forced to quit.

"I didn't realise it then, but the coach was really worried," he said.

"It was hard to let go."

Kelly attended a Paralympic talent-identification day in 2008, where he was able to try out all the para-sports, with swimming grabbing his attention.

"I fell in love, and I thought maybe it is something I could do really well in," he said.

"I could feel myself powering through the water - getting faster, getting stronger - and I just wanted to get better and better."

Nicknamed 'Liquid Nails', Kelly became an Australian citizen in 2009, and a new goal was made - to represent his adopted nation at the Paralympic Games.

Kelly made his Paralympic debut at the London Games in 2012 and competed again at Rio four years later.

Now 32, he reached the podium for the first time at Tokyo in 2021, claiming silver in the SM3 classification of the 150m individual medley (IM).

"Nothing prepares you for that big race," Kelly said.

"The whole nation is behind you."

Kelly qualified for the Paris Games by winning gold in the 150m IM at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, England.

The next stop is Paris, where he is looking forward to enjoying the Games.

"We work on the process to excel and to perform, but one of the hardest things to do is to really enjoy the moment," he said.

"We sometimes forget to do that."

Kelly said Australia will take one of its strongest ever Paralympic teams to the French capital, after the nation slipped out of the top five in the medal tally in Tokyo to finish eighth overall with 80 medals, 21 of which were gold.

"We have a great team that wants to perform," he said.

"Every one of us has worked really hard to ensure our performance is taking on the world."