Zakia Khudadadi made history at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday as the first athlete from the Refugee Paralympic Team to win a medal.
She clinched bronze in the women’s 47 kg. category, defeating Türkiye’s Nurcihan Ekinci.
As the final buzzer echoed through the Grand Palais, Khudadadi celebrated exuberantly, tossing 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 shaking 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, who was born without one forearm, began practicing taekwondo in secret at age 11 in a hidden gym in her hometown of Herat, in western Afghanistan.
Initially blocked from competing following the Taliban’s rise to power in 2021, she was later evacuated from Afghanistan and allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics following a plea from the international community.
After the competition, she settled in Paris and was later offered the opportunity to compete with the refugee team at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
“This medal means everything to me; I will never forget this day,” Khudadadi said. “I won because of the great support I got from the crowd.”
The atmosphere in the Grand Palais was electric as the French crowd cheered her on as if she were one of their own.
Since fleeing Afghanistan, Khudadadi has been training at INSEP, France’s national sports institute, in Paris with her French coach, Haby Niare, a former taekwondo world champion.
“Zakia has been magical. I don’t know how else to put it,” Niare said, beaming with pride. “The training process has been challenging. She faced a lot of injuries and 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, president of the International Paralympic Committee.
“For the Refugee Paralympic Team, it’s super special; it’s super important,” Parsons said. “Zakia just showed the world how good she is. It’s an incredible journey, and it’s something that we should all learn about.”
