Hijabi figure skater Zahra Lari determined to make history

Lari hopes that young women — both Muslim and non-Muslim — will be inspired by her story to dream big


Entertainment Desk December 01, 2017
PHOTO: THE NATIONAL

Zahra Lari from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, dreams of making it to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea as the first ever hijabi figure skater. She is all set to make history for her country.

Lari has previously represented her country in international competitions in places such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Italy, reported The Huffington Post.

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While the UAE has participated in the Summer Olympics, it has reportedly never had an athlete represent it in the winter games. In 2013, the UAE became part of the International Skating Union, making way for Lari to participate in major international competitions.

PHOTO: THE HUFFINGTON POST PHOTO: THE HUFFINGTON POST

The 21-year-old started skating on impulse when she was about 12 years of age, after watching the Disney film Ice Princess. “I was captivated by the artistry and beauty of the sport but when I got out on the ice, skating turned out to be much harder than I’d anticipated,” she said.

Meet the first US athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab

Lari continued, “When I first stepped onto the ice, I fell. I knew that I just needed to figure out how to get back up and keep trying. So that’s what I did. Fall after fall, I kept getting back up.”

It seems as though she was very much addicted, despite the stumbles. What started as an after school hobby soon blossomed into an intense passion for the sport.

PHOTO: THE NATIONAL PHOTO: THE NATIONAL

Before she knew it, she was known as the Ice Princess in her country. And by 2015, she was training between four to seven hours a day, balancing her time on the ice with schoolwork at Abu Dhabi University.

“I spend hours on-ice training each day and also hours off-ice training each day,” she said. “I have dreams and I have set goals for myself. If I reach these goals, then I will be jumping for joy but if I don’t, it won’t be for lack of trying,” Lari expressed.

She went on to speak about her parents’ hesitance, “They worried that I would be injured or that my academics would suffer. But when they realised how passionate I was about skaiting, they began supporting me 100%.”

PHOTO: THE HUFFINGTON POST PHOTO: THE HUFFINGTON POST

She continued, “There was a period of time that my Dad wanted me to stop because he said that I was getting too serious and he felt that I had reached the age that I needed to stop,” Lari said. “He always did so with love and kindness.”

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“When there was a national competition, he refused to allow me to participate but in all fairness, he took me to watch and cheer for my fellow teammates. When he saw how happy I was for them but sad for myself, he allowed me to continue. That was when he finally understood me and how much I truly loved this sport,” she shared. “Now, he cheers for me just as loudly as everyone else.”

PHOTO: THE NATIONAL PHOTO: THE NATIONAL

Lari hopes that young women — both Muslim and non-Muslim — will be inspired by her story to work towards their own dreams. “I wish for all young women to find their passion, to be concerned for their health and wellbeing, to take up sport, to not let small obstacles look like mountains, to strive for their own betterment and to not see the differences in people… only the likenesses. This is my wish for all,” she concluded.

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