Abdirahman Hassan had no experience of rowing when he took it up as a first year student at Cardiff University.
Now as he graduates, he has his sights set on the Olympics, where he hopes to represent Somalia on the world stage.
Abdirahman, who studied History and Politics, described the last three years as a whirlwind.
"I was born in Somalia but my parents are from Wales, so I was excited about starting at Cardiff University," he says, looking back.
I was at the Freshers' Fair in the first week and wanted to find something to help me get back into fitness. One of the last stalls on the way out was for the Rowing Club. It seemed like a sport I might like.
"At first, I had no idea what I was doing. But suddenly, I just got really good at it."
Abdirahman represented the university mainly in sweep boats at regattas in the UK including the Head of the River Race and the British Universities & College Sport (BUCS) regatta. He was then successful in getting on to the British Rowing student development programme.
But his rowing future took an unexpected turn, when he got a call from the Somali rowing federation.
"The call came in the middle of the night because of the time difference," he says. "At first I thought I was being pranked. When the person on the call started speaking Somalian, that's when I knew it was real. They wanted me to represent Somalia. After that I started training all the time."
Abdirahman was born in Somalia, but left the country as a small child when his parents fled to the UK as refugees to escape the Somalian civil war. He grew up in Bristol and while he does consider himself "a lot Welsh" due to having family here, Somalia remains a core part of his identity.
"I have a very big connection because the place in Bristol, especially where I grew up, has a big Somali community. I feel that I'm Somali, but at the same time I do feel British because I grew up there all my life," he adds.
Last year, he competed in the heats of the 2025 World Rowing Under 23 Championships - the first time any Somali has raced for their country at an international event.
"It was really nerve-wracking," he admits. "But all my competitors were so supportive and encouraging because they knew I was the first person to represent Somalia at this event."
Abdirahman, who has juggled training with studies and a part-time job, is going on to do a Master's in Public Policy, while continuing his focus on the sport he loves.
Reflecting on his success, he says: "I remember the day I fell in love with rowing. This one day I went out into Cardiff Bay. I remember for the first time everything clicked. You're out there, you can't hear anything but the sound of the water. It felt like the most peace I've ever felt."
It's given me a sense of purpose, particularly now that I am one of the few athletes that will be able to represent Somalia and the first to do it in rowing. Three years at Cardiff has flown by.
"I would also have to say thank you to the high performance team here at Cardiff, from the Students' Union and personal trainers at the gym – they have given me so much support and I couldn't have done it without them."
