Afghan woman overcomes hurdles to compete at Olympics Slug: Afghan Olympics Updated 1 August 2012, 15:09 AEST Rep

!te!: Tahmina Ansa!i Radi Aust!alia "#TRO $ ! the fi!st time in Olympic hist !y, all the pa!ticipating c unt!ies ha%e sent at least ne female c mpetit ! & including Afghanistan' Sp!inte! Tahmina ( histani is the nly ) man !ep!esenting Afghanistan in * nd n and she+s ,ust the thi!d female athlete f! m he! c unt!y t appea! at any -ames' Tahmina Ansa!i f! m Radi Aust!alia has the !ep !t' TE.T The , u!ney t the * nd n Olympics has n t /een an easy ne f ! Tahmina ( histani' 0hile m st Olympic athletes a!e /ac1ed /y st! ng supp !t in thei! h me c unt!ies, Afghanistan+s Tahmina ( histani has enc unte!ed n t ,ust disapp! %al, /ut ut!ight pp siti n' TA23"#A (O2"STA#" 4*"5 1 6$emale, English7: 8The!e )e!e a l t f pe ple they )e!e saying that these places a!e n t g d f ! a female, f ! a 3uslim' And ne day )hen " )as t!aining at the stadium the!e )as m !e than 100, 200 pe ple s metimes and they )ant t distu!/ me and d n+t let me p!epa!e'9 :attling th! ugh the /stacles and ha!dship, the!e )as a m ment )he!e she did c nside! gi%ing up' TA23"#A (O2"STA#" 4*"5 2 6$emale, English7: 8One day ne f the / ys )h )as staying the!e and )as in my !unning, he said that s me ne !un )ith me, ,ust )ant t distu!/ me' At that time my c ach ,ust sta!t fighting )ith them' " ,ust decide t st p these things and g h me, ne%e! c me /ac1 t the t!aining, f ! a m ment'9 Andeisha $a!id, the di!ect ! f the Afghanistan 4hild Educati n and 4a!e O!ganisati n in (a/ul says despite the suffe!ing she is in an inspi!ati n' A#;E"S2A $AR"; 4*"5 1 6$emale, English7: 80ell Tahmina she+s f c u!se the fi!st Afghan ) man )h )ent t the Olympics and she )ill f c u!se play t /!ing s mething f ! Afghan pe ple that 6inaudi/le7 e<tend t Afghan ) men in Afghanistan, they suffe! s /adly' And s it+s !eally ha!d f ! Afghan ) men e%en th ugh Tahmina she )ent t Olympics t play and t face the challenge' :ut n the the! side, e%en Tahmina he!self, she faced l ts f challenges in Afghanistan'9 Tahmina is dete!mined t ma1e a diffe!ence f ! the ) men in Afghanistan' She is a l ng sh t t get a medal in the 100&met!e dash, /ut ,ust he! p!esence may ha%e an impact n futu!e Afghan ) men'

TA23"#A (O2"STA#" 4*"5 = 6$emale, English7: 8"+m c ming he!e t d s mething f ! the ) men f Afghanistan )h cann t get ut f! m thei! h uses' They ha%e family p! /lems> they ha%e s ciety e<clusi n p! /lem /ecause f that they can+t d these things that they h ped' :ut "+m !eally happy t d s mething f ! th se ) men' " 1n ) that )hene%e! "+m g ing t the pening ce!em ny, )hene%e! " ha%e c mpete n that day, the!e a!e a l t f Afghan gi!ls and ) men that they a!e )atching me and they h pe that ne day they shall /e in the place f me' And " am g ing t pen a ne) )ay f ! the ) men f Afghanistan'9 She is !acing n the =!d f August and f ! Tahmina the Olympics is ,ust the /eginning' ???