In a landmark moment at the Paris Paralympics, Zakia Khudadadi made history on Thursday, emerging as the first athlete from the Refugee Paralympic Team to clinch a medal. Khudadadi secured bronze in the women’s 47kg taekwondo category by defeating Turkey’s Ekinci Nurcihan. The Grand Palais in central Paris reverberated with excitement as the final buzzer sounded, and Khudadadi, overcome with joy, tossed her helmet and mouthpiece into the air.
“It was a surreal moment, my heart started racing when I realized I had won the bronze,” Khudadadi said, her voice trembling with emotion. “I went through so much to get here. This medal is for all the women of Afghanistan and all the refugees of the world. I hope that one day there will be peace in my country.”
Khudadadi, born without one forearm, began practicing taekwondo in secrecy at the age of 11 in a concealed gym in her hometown of Herat, western Afghanistan. Her journey to the Paralympics was fraught with challenges. Originally barred from competing in the aftermath of the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021, she was eventually evacuated from Afghanistan and participated in the Tokyo Olympics after an appeal from the international community. Following the Tokyo Games, she settled in Paris and later joined the refugee team for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
“This medal means everything to me, I will never forget that day,” Khudadadi expressed. “I won because of the great support I got from the crowd.”
The French spectators at the Grand Palais provided an electrifying atmosphere, cheering her on as if she were one of their own. Since fleeing Afghanistan, Khudadadi has been training at INSEP, France’s national institute of sport in Paris, under the guidance of her French coach, Haby Niare, a former taekwondo world champion.
“Zakia has been magical. I don’t know how else to put it,” Niare stated, beaming with pride. “The training process has been challenging. She faced a lot of injuries and she had to learn a lot in a couple of years but she never lost sight of her goal.”
Khudadadi received her medal from U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee.
“For the Refugee Paralympic Team, it’s super special, it’s super important,” Parsons commented. “Zakia just showed to the world how good she is. It’s an incredible journey, it’s something that we should all learn about.”
