Road to Paris 2024: 27-Year-Old Australian Boxer in Hijab To Make History at the Games

A former Australian makeup artist ended up enrolling in a local gym’s women-only boxing class. She had no idea that this would be the start of an incredible adventure that would have her embarking all the way to the road to Paris. In just a few years, the 27-year-old Sydney native turned her love of boxing from a hobby into an endeavor that would change the course of history.

At first admitting, “I don’t look like a boxer,“ she surpassed prejudices to become Australia’s first female Muslim boxer to represent her country in Birmingham, England, at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Now, with everyone looking forward to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the female boxer takes center stage, ready to change history once more.

Boxing sensation takes center stage in the road to Paris

Tina Rahimi is poised to be a trendsetter by being the first female Muslim boxer to represent Australia at the upcoming Summer Olympics. Recently, a snippet of Rahimi’s exclusive interview with BBC News was shared on X by @bbcworldservice. Accompanied by the caption, “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing… the result speaks for itself.” “Tina Rahimi, 27, is about to make history by representing Australia at the Paris Olympics while wearing a hijab.”

Rahimi won a bronze medal in the featherweight (57 kgs) event in Birmingham in 2022, becoming the first female boxer of her religion to represent Australia. Her success continued to the Solomon Islands for the Pacific Games, where she won the gold medal. Rahimi isn’t discouraged by the difficulty of boxing while wearing a head covering/garb. Last year, she joined the eight Australian boxing debutants making it to the Summer Olympics, competing in the 57kg event.

Interestingly, Rahimi will compete in the Olympics at the same age that her father, Michael Rahimi, failed to qualify and represent Australia in the 1992 Barcelona Games. Michael Rahimi, is a former national freestyle wrestling champion in both Iran and Denmark (born in Iran, lived in Denmark for a while, and then immigrated to Australia) and it seems like he’s passed the mantle onto his trendsetting daughter. In 1991, he won the 90kg title. His daughter has the arduous responsibility of juggling her faith, her head garb and her steadfastness in her boxing journey.

Challenges along the path less trodden

Rahimi’s route included boxing with a headscarf, fasting during Ramadan, and figuring out weight divisions. She fasted from sunrise to dusk to compete in the Women’s World Boxing Championship in India during the month of Ramadan. Later she shared, “I had to get my running in before sunrise in order to keep up my training and water levels. But it’s part of my religion and so it’s important to me.”

READ MORE USA’s Boxing Team Secures First Contender for 2024 Paris Olympics, Aiming to Bounce Back from Tokyo Setback

Tina Rahimi’s journey is inspiring and encompasses the boxing ring, and the Road to Paris is an indictment to her intrepidness and potential to overcome prejudices. But will her historic streak continue

at the Summer Olympics stage? Only five months until the world finds out!

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