Sculpting Paralympian Mohamed Lahna

A triathlon is perhaps the most difficult physical challenge conceivable, but can you imagine doing consecutive distance swimming, cycling and running with only one leg? 

While contemplating a third Paralympian to feature in my U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Visitor Center series in Colorado Springs, I imagined portraying an athlete who runs with a prosthetic blade. Other Paralympic athletes highly recommended their friend Mohamed Lahna, a champion triathlete who, after the triathlon was dropped from Paralympic competition, joined the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team. 

Mo was born in Casablanca, Morocco without a right femur or a leg connection to his hip. His tiny foot is where his knee should be. Because of Mo's condition, he was not allowed to participate in school sports. Although he felt sad and frustrated, this discouraging situation only fired his ambition to participate in sports at the highest level. 

His first opportunity came at age 11 when Mo's father introduced him to a Moroccan Paralympic swimmer who mentored Mo. He did not know yet that he would one day swim the Strait of Gibraltar. At age 20, he was fitted with his first real prosthetic. Mo rode a bike for the first time at age 25 and crossed the Atlas Mountains on it the following year. At 27 he ran for the first time and competed in a marathon a few months later. In 2014, Mohamed was the first adaptive athlete to complete the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. Mohamed has won four gold medals to date as well as 13 podium finishes and was ranked fourth in the world as a Paralympic triathlete.  After winning the bronze medal for Morocco in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Mo joined the USA Paralympic Triathlon Team so he could get the best training possible. 

Photo credit: Genki Yamashita

Besides being super-athletic, highly competitive, and exceptionally friendly, Mohamed also excels at parenting. His two young boys accompanied him to my studio for his sculpture-forming session and the  morning cycle training he did before he arrived. The boys calmly sat while munching on a hearty snack. Later, as they became bored, each curled up to nap in their chairs. They were far more patient than most adults! It was quite apparent to my assistant and me the deep, loving and understanding relationship between father and sons. Mo's boys acceptingly followed his simple instructions and requests delivered with a soft but firm voice and steady gaze. 

Like my other Paralympic art models, Sophia Herzog and Brandon Lyons, I found Mo to be very outgoing, generous, humble and determined. His size and physique is that of a muscular Olympic gymnast. My only concern in creating a sculpture with Mo was my ability to incorporate his prosthetic running blade within the sculpture, without creating confusion for the viewer. But for Mo and me, it was definitely worth giving it our best effort. Happily, the uncommon form of Mo's blade turned out to be a fascinating feature, enticing the viewer and spurring curiosity. Mo is obviously running fast, yet there is something mechanical and strikingly different about his front leg. 

Mo's sculpture is even more fascinating to walk around in person. You can see his powerful body and speed emerging from its surrounding sculpted landscape. Yet the artwork also expresses itself as a lively, colorful painting. I am delighted and gratified to know Mohamed Lahna and to share his story with you through my art. Let's cheer him on as he pursues Gold for his beloved adopted country, U.S.A., in Tokyo 2020!

 You can learn more from Mohamed's website (watch the videos!), Team webpage and Triathlon Profile webpage.

 Follow the conversation #SculptingMohamed #SculptingPara 

 Follow the athletes and their mission on Instagram @USParalympics 

Sculpting Paralympian Sophia Herzog

With a Blues Brothers “Mission-from-God!” determination, I’ve been seeking opportunities to create beautiful art of people that also portray unique physiques and appearance. This comes from my passion to counter the overwhelming number of pervasive images depicting what “ideal” people should look like. These visual messages promote fear over love – fear of being imperfect, unlovable, and outside the norm. Instead, wouldn't life be more interesting if, for example, Victoria’s Secret’s annual TV special featured women of all sizes,shapes, and hair styles?

Simultaneously, people have been suggesting to me for months that they’d like to see my art cast from many types of athletes besides ballerinas. The photographer and owner of Robert Anderson Gallery suggested contacting the nearby US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Flashbulb! This potential opportunity would fulfill my desire to portray both athletic bodies and uncommon bodies – by making art of Paralympians.

The USOPC saw my art as a perfect match for their Colorado Springs Training Campus Visitor Center. Although the USOPC is inundated with proposals from artists and photographers, they responded quickly to my outreach. I was invited to discuss my project while enjoying a behind-the-scenes tour and lunch at the athletes’ cafeteria. The greatest gift of that visit was meeting Sophia Herzog.

I first noticed Sophia when I approached the Center’s reception counter, and again as she walked past me. Her body looked super-strong, beautifully curvaceous and intriguingly unusual. While introducing myself, I learned Sophia is an USOC Paralympic swimmer, silver medalist, and two-time World Champion in the breast stroke. (Since then, she has broken the World Record for the 200m race.) Sophia is also finishing her degree with a Broadcast-Business major while training for her final race in Tokyo 2020. Whew!

I learned later that we share many interests and similarities, including a love for making art. I have long-wanted to create figurative art that features water, so I invited Sophia to be my first USOC model to cast. Because of her love for making art, I also to assist me with other steps in creating the artwork. From working with Sophia, I sensed that she gives her all to any project she takes on. She immediately accepted my invitation to participate and came to my studio

Sophia is decidedly self-confident and proud of her unique figure. For example, when we picked up lunch at a nearby Chinese buffet, the restaurant was packed with young families. Sophia has a kind of dwarfism called achondroplasia, and I wondered how the kids would react to seeing Sophia’s 48” height and short arms and legs. I wondered how Sophia would feel and respond, even though she had probably encountered this situation on a daily basis as far back as she could remember. I was the one who was concerned and without such experience. Sophia went about the buffet just the same as I did. Many customers did a slight double-take, then looked away. Kids spun around and bumped their parents or another child with a quizzical look on their faces. Then all went back to selecting their food. 

This situation illustrates the commitment Sophia and I share to exemplify inclusion of everyone into all aspects of society, with our unique abilities and endeavors. Because of Sophia, these families could have a conversation about looking different and being similar. (Little did they know of her athletic accomplishments!) The more we see and interact, the more familiar and we become.

I saw one of my favorite slogans on the t-shirt of a man seated in his wheelchair: “Don’t Dis My Abilities.” All I can see in Sophia and the persons I know facing disabilities is superior capabilities in most every aspect of life. How is it that Sophia could ever be considered “disabled?” She could swim circles around me, a former lifeguard. 

Sophia faces challenges that other swimmers don’t face. She has to do maybe twice as many kicks and strokes to complete her races. She recently had two knee surgeries – the breast stroke whip-kick is especially hard on knee joints. At the same time,  Sophia’s body is more suited than mine to some tasks. For example, she used both her hands and legs to grip and open a large gesso container in my studio while I could only wrestle the lid with my hands. But perhaps Sophia's greatest challenge was believing she could put herself out there on the world stage to compete and excel.

Sophia’s sculpture plus two more works were installed at the USOC Visitors Center in July 2019. We invite you to experience this emotionally compelling art and the athletes it represents. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get to take a fascinating tour of the entire Center  with Sophia as your tour guide.

Follow the conversation #SculptingSophia #SculptingPara

Follow Sophia’s journey on Instagram @SophiaHerzog and visit her Team webpage

Follow the athletes and their mission on Instagram @USParalympics