Gharbi took up athletics in 2009 with the intent to improve to improve his social integration.[3] He made his senior international debut in 2010 classified as a T54 competitor. Gharbi's first major international competition was the Mediterranean Games held in Mersin, Turkey. He took part in one event, the 1500m (T54), finish third with a time of 3.26:81. Two years later he represented Tunisia on the world stage after he qualified for the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. He competed in four events, failing to complete the 1500m and 5000m races, but finishing the 800m in seventh and the 400m in fourth, just outside the medals.[3] In October of that year Gharbi entered the 2015 African Games in Doha. There he won gold in two events, the 800m (T54) and 1500m (T53/54).
In 2016 Gharbi was selected to represent Tunisia at his first Summer Paralympics, held in Rio de Janeiro. In his first race, the 400 m (T54), he posted a time of 47.07 to claim the bronze medal, his first major international podium finish. Gharbi failed to get through to the final for the 1500m and in the 800m, despite initially finishing second behind Switzerland's Marcel Hug, he was later disqualified and did not medal.[4]
The following year at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, Gharbi announced his arrival as a major competitor in his class by winning medals in all four of his events. He won bronze in the 800m, silver in the 1500m and set two new championship records to claim gold in both the 200m and 400m races.[3][5]
