Ismail Zulfić’s Swimming Journey: Looking Toward LA28 Olympics

Six years after we shared his story, Ismail Zulfić is a European para-swimming medalist with ambitions of competing at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

A Story We Never Forgot

In 2020, we shared a story about a young swimmer from Bosnia and Herzegovina named Ismail Zulfić.

Born without arms, Ismail had once been afraid of the water. With the encouragement of his family, coaches, and community, he discovered the freedom, confidence, and joy of swimming.

Award-winning photojournalist Midhat Poturović captured that story in his photo essay, Superhero Without a Cape, using his professional Nikon camera protected by an Outex waterproof housing.

His photographs took viewers into Ismail’s world, revealing not just a promising young swimmer, but a boy whose happiness, personality, and determination were impossible to forget.

Six years later, we have some wonderful news to share.

That young swimmer has earned a place on the European Championships podium.

From His First Strokes to European Records

Representing Bosnia and Herzegovina and training with Sarajevo’s SPID Swimming Club under coach Amel Kapo, Ismail has developed into an internationally competitive athlete.

In May 2024, at the World Para Swimming Series in Berlin, he broke a 22-year-old senior European record in the S5 100-meter butterfly.

In July 2025, he won silver medals in the 50-meter butterfly and 50-meter backstroke at the European Para Youth Games in Istanbul.

In December 2025, he broke the senior European record in the 100-meter butterfly again, swimming 1:33.64 in Zagreb.

2026: Two European Championship Medals

In September 2026, Ismail competed at the European Para Swimming Championships in Kocaeli, Türkiye. At 15, he earned two medals at senior European Championship level:

• Silver, men’s 50m butterfly S5: 34.67 seconds, a new Bosnian national record. World Para Swimming’s day-three report confirms the silver medal.
• Bronze, men’s 50m backstroke S5: 36.25 seconds, a personal and national record. World Para Swimming’s day-two report confirms the bronze medal.

For the boy who had once been afraid of water, those podium finishes mark a new chapter.

Looking Toward Los Angeles 2028

Ismail’s ambition is to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. His European medals make that goal exciting to follow, but they should not be read as confirmation of Paralympic qualification or selection.

The official LA28 para-swimming qualification guidance distinguishes minimum qualifying standards from the allocation of Games places. Most places are allocated to National Paralympic Committees rather than directly to individual swimmers.

For now, we’re cheering him on as he works toward that next goal.

More Than Medals: Friendship and Belonging

Ismail’s journey has also reached audiences beyond competitive swimming. In 2024, the documentary Butterflies Without Wings (Leptiri bez krila) premiered in Sarajevo, following Ismail and his friend and fellow para-swimmer Ismail Barlov.

The film explores their friendship, sporting ambitions, family support, and everyday experiences. It also highlights the importance of inclusive communities and the opportunities that emerge when young people receive encouragement.

Behind Ismail’s achievements are years of training, dedicated coaches, a supportive family, and a love of swimming. The medals matter, but so do the people and everyday moments behind them.

Why This Story Comes Full Circle for Outex

At Outex, we believe photography can do more than document a moment. It can help us understand another person’s experience, challenge assumptions, and preserve stories worth following.

When Midhat took his camera underwater to photograph Ismail, he brought viewers closer to a world they might otherwise never have experienced. We’re proud that Outex’s universal waterproof camera housing helped him capture those perspectives with the professional equipment he already owned. The story, and the ability to tell it, belonged to Ismail and Midhat.

Six years later, those original images have taken on greater meaning. They show the beginnings of a journey that is still unfolding.

For us at Outex, this connection is deeply personal. Outex was founded by an Olympic swimmer, so seeing the water become a place of confidence, belonging, and possibility for Ismail carries special meaning. There is immense satisfaction in seeing a story come full circle: our own roots in swimming, Midhat’s photographs bringing Ismail’s early journey into view, and now the chance to follow his ambitions toward the Paralympic stage. His achievements belong to him and the family, coaches, and community beside him. We’re simply grateful that Outex could play a small part in helping his story be seen.

Congratulations, Ismail! We’ll be cheering you on as you pursue your next chapter.

Revisit the original photo essay: Superhero Without a Cape: Midhat Poturović and Ismail Zulfić.

Follow Ismail’s journey: @ismailzulfic10 on Instagram.

Explore Outex: Discover how Outex underwater camera housings help photographers tell stories from new perspectives.