Life is always full of challenges, and navigating through troubled waters alone might not be easy. That's why it is always good to have a mentor, a role model from whom you can learn from their experience, be inspired by their action and benefit from their wisdom. Azeem Amir, the professional footballer representing England in the international arena of blind football, is a hero of our country, and he shared with us his experience with our mentoring programme – a gateway for him to branch out from being a professional sportsman to an entrepreneur.
Born with visual impairment, Azeem Amir never gave up his dream to be a professional footballer. Keen to join in, Amir played football alongside other pupils but struggled with the visual aspects of the game. When he turned 15, blind football was showcased to him in a disability sports event, which was the first time Amir had come into contact with the sport. Initially a hobby for him, it slowly developed into his career.
Amir debuted in Japan in 2018, representing England at the highest level in the international arena. Disappointed by missing out on the opportunity to join his teammates in the 2020 Paralympic Games because of injury, Amir is now preparing for the 2023 IBSA World Games in August in Birmingham, a golden chance for him and the England team to qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
Besides the road to Paris 2024, the footballer is also on a mission to raise awareness surrounding disability by focusing on the lived experience of disabled persons. Amir started his business, Learn with ESS (Education, Sport, Speaking), in 2020 while still studying sports management at the University of Salford, providing disability awareness training for companies, schools and colleges in the UK.
Starting a business is never an easy task, especially during the pandemic lockdown period. Luckily, Amir joined our mentorship programme, gaining valuable insight and sharing from Gavin Astley, his mentor in the programme, who works hand in hand with Amir on his mission. Their relationship transcended from mentor and mentee to partnership in the pursuit of a greater good.
We had the chance to interview Azeem Amir, a professional footballer and entrepreneur, about his road to Paris in 2024 to his mission to raise disability awareness.
The biggest thing is the programme helped me to open my mind even more to different areas that I would never have thought of.
Azeem Amir, Owner of Learn With ESS
The road to Paris 2024
How did you get into blind football and start competing at a professional level?
When I was around 15, I joined a disability sports event where blind football was showcased to me for the first time and that one day definitely changed my life. What has touched me most in Blind football is that it provides a level playing field for everyone to participate in. I started playing football as a hobby, and my passion for the sport grew as I kept playing it. I played for a club in Merseyside and developed my skill there.
In 2018, I joined the training of the England national team and made my debut in Japan. Afterwards, I've been fortunate to have the chance to play in countries worldwide, from Argentina to Japan and most parts of Europe. Recently, the team has gone to Brazil to prepare for the World Cup in the UK (2023 IBSA World Game). If we do well with that, we'll qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
How has the experience of playing as a professional football player shaped your view on disability?
I think the biggest thing for me is I use the pitch as my platform to make an impact and, with the England team outfit, helped to change people’s views on those with a disability. Most of the time, when people see someone with a disability, they immediately feel sorry for them and think that the person’s quality of life must be affected by his disability. When they have a chance to watch a game of blind football, they will change their view on those with disability completely. When they witness those players compete at such an elite level in a technical sport and do it so well. I hope that blind football will help to change society’s view on disability.
Becoming a self-motivated entrepreneur
Did the experience motivate you to set up Learn with ESS? What is the goal Learn with ESS wants to achieve?
Through playing blind football at the professional level, people regularly approached me to ask about my story. It's not only my story they're interested in, but they also want to feel what it’s like to play a sport with a disability. They want the experience. This got me thinking about how I can do that and came up with an idea to deliver “disability” in a practical way.
We started in a classroom with a programme to explain disability and its relation to sport (Education), then let the participant actually experience sports with “disability”, using blindfolds or wheelchairs (Sport). Afterwards, there is a sharing session with local role models (Speaking). Through this interactive experience, I hope it will help to change the participant’s view on disability.
I know Learn with ESS started operating during the pandemic, which was a tough time for all businesses because of the lockdown. How did it impact your business?
Learn with ESS launch in February 2020, right before the pandemic. One month later, we were all in lockdown, making me worry and question whether it was a good idea and if it would work. Luckily, we structured our course in a modular fashion. We deliver the first part online, then follow up with the second part in person when the situation allows. That period was really difficult for us, as physical contact was limited. But every single client who participated online has also participated in person, which is quite amazing.
This has boosted my confidence in the business, I've just had to keep my faith in it and wait for the right timing, and now we deliver our course in every part of the country, bringing on board new ambassadors, new athletes and new role models. We've also developed new programmes, so everything is on the right track and growing.
On his mentorship Experience
How did you know about the mentoring programme, and what motivated you to become a mentee in the programme?
I came across it in an email. To be honest, I never had a mentor before. There are so many good people in my life, and they have provided various kinds of support to me throughout the different stages. Out of curiosity, I gave it a go and filled in the application form. After a few days, I got an email saying that the programme had assigned me a mentor. I was unsure and asked myself, is this the right person for me? And I almost replied to the email with a “No”. Luckily, I met with Gavin Astley, the mentor assigned to me, and it ended up to be an unbelievable conversation. Gavin is such a nice guy, and he's so genuine. It actually turned out that, a couple of months later, we are working together in a partnership fashion, not just mentor and mentee.
How was your experience on the programme? What have you learned from the mentor, and how has it helped your business’s daily operation?
One thing I learned is about people skills. Seeing Gavin in his working environment and how he handles his colleagues and counterparts in his office has taught me a lot about interpersonal skills. In addition, Gavin always told me whether it's a major issue or a minor incident, I don't need to schedule a meeting. I just need to pick up the phone and call him. He'll be there for me, whether day or night, offering help. That means a lot to me.
Any case or incident in which you have applied the learning from the programme which helped you overcome a challenge in your business?
The biggest thing is the programme helped me open my mind even more to different areas that I would never have thought of. For example, it's given me the belief of always having a conversation before deciding on an issue. Just like the case of the mentorship programme. Previously, I might quickly turn to my email and say, “No, thank you.” Now I am more open to conservation and looking forward to its outcome. It taught me the importance of conversation.
Passing on the torch
Finally, I know you would like to become one of the mentors on the programme. What motivated you to be a mentor? Anything you would like to share with your future mentee?
If one day I can help, as someone helped me, that would be a real privilege. Again, you never know what will come out of a conversation, so if I can do that for someone else and pass the knowledge and experience to others, that will be a happy day for me.
On the mentorship programme with Azeem Amir, Gavin Astley, his mentor, said:
“Working in the capacity of a mentor is always a fulfilling role, by its very nature you are often working with someone who wants to learn, grow, develop and push themselves. This has never been truer than in Amir's case. We are a great pairing, having similar energy levels, enthusiasm, and hunger for development; thanks to the mentoring program facilitated by the GM Business Growth Hub for bringing us together. As a mentor it's superb to pass on some of my experiences in the world of business growth, and to work with someone like Azeem who takes everything on board and drives forward to achieve, is the best feeling in the world.”
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