An Israeli soldier who collapsed during a fitness training earlier this month opened his eyes on Thursday at a hospital where he was being treated.
Corporal Ahmad Sawaed was rushed to Be'er Sheva's Soroka Medical Center after he fell and lost consciousness during a physical at the Kzi'ot Military Base in the Negev.
According to a preliminary investigation into the incident, the fighter was exercising on the parallel bars when he suddenly fell to the ground and fainted.
The military originally thought this occurred due to a heat stroke, but it is now estimated that the soldier collapsed due to cardiac arrest.
Sawaed, an accomplished cyclist, is a Muslim from the northern village of Shefa-'Amr who volunteered to serve in the IDF.
His parents, Majed and Sahaam, never left his bedside for a moment, urging him to "wake up."
After regaining conciseness, his mother said that she believes he will recover soon.
"He is very strong, I believe he will get out of this," she said. His father said that many high-ranking military officers came to visit him and ask how he was doing.
"He is a strong boy," he said. "There is a reason he wanted to become a commander, he wanted to keep going forward."
Majed said that Ahmad seems to recognize them, but is still unable to talk.
"I keep telling him to wake up so we can go to the beach like we always do," he said.