Ahmed al-Ahmed: Bondi terror hero opens up on aftermath of attack, fighting to regain use of left arm

Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed has revealed he will never regain full use of his left arm as he continues his physical recovery after being shot five times during the devastating attack on December 14.

Two months after the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in which 15 innocent Australian Jews were shot dead, and as Ahmed continues to be congratulated around the world for his bravery, this revelation is a stark reminder of the extreme danger he feared when he wrestled with the gun of one of two evil assailants.

Ahmed, a 44-year-old Syrian-born shopkeeper, was seen sneaking up on the armed men, then jumping on the terrorist’s back from behind the cover and snatching the firearm from his hand.

This image was seen all over the world and everyone was in awe of Ahmed’s daring courage as he pointed his rifle at Sajid Akram, the embodiment of evil.

But instead of taking revenge for the 15 innocent lives lost, Ahmed slowly placed his gun against a nearby tree and retreated as the unarmed gunman stood up.

As a result of the cowardice of the other shooter, who was perched on a nearby pedestrian bridge, Ahmed was shot five times as he tried to move away from the chaotic situation.

Ahmed revealed on Sunday that the celebratory moment, which occurred while he was out for an evening coffee, could potentially lead to him permanently losing his left arm.

The shots had penetrated his shoulder and caused severe nerve damage (two bullets were still lodged in his upper body), leaving Ahmed still unable to move his fingers unaided.

He previously spent three months with his arm in a sling following rotator cuff surgery last year.

“My whole left hand was weaker for fighting, but that way I know it was a message from God telling me to help people,” he said in an interview with The Times.

Despite the brutal defeat, Ahmed remains resilient and rehabs his injured arm by doing daily exercises and stretches to regain his strength, but his range of motion is still limited after surgery.

Some sensitivity remains in Ahmed’s fingers, meaning he can still feel his wife holding his hand.

But the physical pain took a heavy toll; It required taking a cocktail of painkillers every four hours.

“I can’t sleep more than two hours, I’m lucky if I get three hours every night,” Ahmed said.

In a touching show of gratitude, a staggering $2.5 million was raised for Ahmed through an online fundraiser set up by a local business that received more than 43,000 donations in just four days.

The unexpected influx of money gave the father hope that the extra money could “bring my hand back to life.”

“I’m not exactly going to be Elon Must or Bill Gates,” Ahmed joked.

Faced with the prospect of never losing full use of her left arm, the Bondi hero still has no regrets about her split-second decision on December 14.

“I worry that the movement in my fingers will disappear and not come back, but mentally everything is fine because for me it was about saving lives,” he said.

“I’m proud of what I’ve done.”

By the time he was hospitalized, photographs had circulated around the world of Ahmed performing one of the greatest acts of bravery ever seen on Australian soil.

Although he could not be immediately identified, even before speaking to his wife, there was little doubt in her mind as to who the anonymous hero was.

“When he saw this he told me he knew it was me because who else could do this?” he said in the interview.

The devoted father of two said his eldest daughter, Sofia, was a little more critical of his life-saving success.

Ahmed recalled him asking: “Why didn’t you go and get the gun from the other guy on the bridge?”

The Australian Muslim who risked his life to save Australian Jews said that since moving Down Under in 2006 he had “felt like he was living in paradise, and that’s what Australia and Bondi are like”.

“Australia gave me hope and when I got my citizenship I said I had to give back to this country.”

Following the attack, Ahmed sold his tobacco shop to focus on the future, refusing to dwell on the past.

“There is a saying in my country: Feel good, the future will be good too,” Ahmed said.