Table tennis player who lost his arms as a child epitomizes the Paralympics spirit

Ibrahim Hamadtou lost both his arms in a train accident when he was just 10 years old, but that hasn't stopped him.

Hamadtou now plays table tennis with one shoe on and one shoe off. He picks the ball up with his toes to serve. He holds the paddle in his mouth to rally.

He's incredible, and he's a Paralympian.

Hamadtou made his Paralympics debut this month in Rio de Janeiro, but the 43-year-old Egyptian has been in the spotlight before.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Two years ago, a video about Hamadtou, entitled "Nothing is Impossible," became a viral hit after being posted to the International Table Tennis Federation's YouTube channel. Hamadtou shares some of his inspiring story, but the unquestioned highlight is seeing him play table tennis -- and play it well -- using his mouth and foot.

Check the video out below -- it runs less than three minutes -- and then we'll bring you up to the present day.

Hamadtou lost his first two matches at the Rio Paralympics and did not medal -- but who cares? Not David Wetherill of Great Britain, who beat Hamadtou in both players' opening match.

"It was an absolute honour for me to start off against the legend that is Ibrahim," Wetherill said after their match on Sept. 8. "It was a strange one to prepare for because I’ve seen him on YouTube and he’s a legend in table tennis."

Now here's a clip of Hamadtou doing his thing in Rio.

"I want to tell everybody that nothing is impossible, and everybody should work hard for what you love and what you think is good for yourself," Hamadtou told the Paralympics website before the games began. "The disability is not in arms or legs, the disability is to not persevere in whatever you would like to do."

And there you have it. Next time something seems impossible, just think of Ibrahim Hamadtou.

Credit: Lucas Uebel/Getty Images