(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

A 15-year-old skating prodigy on the autism spectrum, who was the youngest member on the KT Plus 150 list said he was“grateful and honoured” to be the only person of determination on the list. Earlier this year, Zayne Merzi Sodawaterwala shattered records and became the first person with intellectual impairment to set a Guinness World Record in inline skating by completing 10km in 40 minutes and 4 seconds.

On Wednesday, he arrived at the KT Plus 150 soiree at Chic Nonna along with his father Merzi Sodawaterwala and mingled with other guests . The loud music, crowded floor and incessant chatter seemed to do little to dampen his spirit.“Earlier, he used to dislike loud places,” Merzi told Khaleej Times.“But now, he has become better at managing things he struggled with.”

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After setting the Guinness World Record, Zayne has gone onto skate a full marathon distance of 42.55km in 4 hours and 27 seconds. He is also working with several high-profile events across the country including marathons and wellness events. Next month, he will be partnering with the Dubai Fitness Challenge as well to encourage more Dubai residents to get active.

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Beginning to skate

An investment banker, Merzi said that he was thankful for the blessings.“Autistic children usually struggle with balance, coordination and prolonged focus,” he said.“But in the case of Zayne, I always noticed that he has really good spatial awareness. That is why I first bought him a pair of roller skates. He loved it and then I later bought him a skateboard as well.”

The youngster taught himself skating by watching Youtube videos and tutorials. However, an inline skating accident left Zayne scared to get on the skates for almost five years.“While coming down a ramp, he injured his knee,” Merzi said.“It was a relatively small injury but he was scared to step on the skates after that.”

After five years, when he returned to skating, there was no stopping him. That is when Merzi approached the team of Guinness World Records to see if there was a possibility of setting a record.“Guinness usually only considers applications from those aged 16 and above for endurance events across all categories,” he said.“So I gave up. But a few weeks later Guinness called back saying they want to give him a shot at a 10km fastest inline skating record, a category which they created for him under the intellectual impairment section.”

Once the record was set, accolades for the youngster poured in from various quarters including from Dubai Police, Dubai Tourism, RTA and the Indian consulate.

Long journey

According to Merzi, as a baby, Zayne was pampered and the family missed a lot of the first signs for his autism diagnosis. It wasn't until the couple returned to the UAE after a few years that Zayne was formally diagnosed with autism. The family then banded together to help the youngster overcome challenges and achieve his full potential.

Merzi also credited Zayne's mother for homeschooling him.“Everything that you see in Zayne today including his character is the work of his mother,” he said.“She homeschooled him to the best of her ability and managed to transform his personality. As a father, I supported them in their journey and in his sport endevours.”

Merzi said that skating had made a positive impact on Zayne's health as well.“At the same time last year, he had a bulging tummy and refused to walk even short distances to the car,” he said.“But now he has defined abs and is much more fitter.”

He said that being in the UAE had opened out several opportunities for him that would have otherwise not been available.“The respect and honour that UAE gives to people of determination is second to none,” he said.“I'm grateful to this country and its leaders.”

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