It all started with a crazy dream.
From a shy girl growing up, Zahra Lari has become one of the most discussed female athletes of today.
Not only was she the world’s first figure skater to compete in a hijab, but she is also UAE’s first figure skater to participate in the winter qualifications last year. She lead the UAE to become the first Arab state to join the International Skating Union and she has also inspired around 100 Emirati women to lace up their skates and hit the ice. Not bad for a 24-year-old.
In Nike’s latest Dream Crazier campaign, the five-time UAE Ice Skating National Champion shares her story on how she is paving the way for the next generation of female athletes.
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In the film she explains that she was a shy girl growing up and it’s only through sport that she managed to build up her confidence. The video also shows her intense training regime as well as bonding with the budding figure skaters.
Her next goal? To compete in the Winter Olympics “with a group of women to raise the UAE flag for the first time.”
“I set a pretty big goal for myself. And in order for me to reach that goal, it’s important for me to wake up at dawn every day to practice and not complain. Yes, I’m tired, but so is everyone else. A champion is not made by staying in bed. You have to work hard,” she adds in a statement.
Watch the video in full below.
Media: Supplied, Instagram.
