According to history, nations who don’t have heroes fail to rise and those that stop producing them vanquish or fade away. Every nation, culture, has heroes because they are the ones who have the ability to act wisely in the times of adversity, who serve as a beacon for future generations, who can lead and set examples. Luckily, Pakistan has been blessed with such assets since 1947. Meet Insha Afsar, the girl representing Pakistan in the 2018 Paralympics.

In 2005, when the northern areas of Pakistan were struck with an earthquake, Insha lost her left leg up to the hip. She came to the USA after six months of the earthquake for her prosthesis. After TIMES magazine photographed her, she caught the attention of one of its editors, who offered his space to her and also sent her to school.