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ZAHRA AL-MOUGRABI

Zahra Al-Mougrabi, 17, started doing taekwondo when she was ten years old. However, after being disqualified in the Swedish Championships for going too hard, she switched instead to Thai boxing and kickboxing – something that proved to be the right decision. She has now won European Championship gold, World Championship silver and been crowned Swedish Champion twice. And her plan is clear: she’s going to be the best in the world. 

Role models have been important for Zahra, and she has three who have meant a great deal – Mohammed Ali, Nesrine Dallay and Valentina Shevchenko.

“Mohammed Ali was a fantastic boxer and human being. He stood up against racism and injustice and was a very good public speaker. Nesrine Dallay has accomplished an enormous amount and is a great representative of the hijab. She posts a lot on Instagram that I find helpful,” explains Zahra, continuing:

“Valentina Shevchenko is the best female martial artist I’ve seen. She has no weaknesses and has mastered all the different elements, such as Thai boxing, wrestling and boxing.”

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Zahra is now a great role model herself for young girls who want to do what she does. Her top tip to those who want to achieve their dreams is never to give up. 

“You must never give up. You have to focus on what you really want, and always keep moving forwards. If you encounter injustice, you have to continue fighting and prove to those who have treated you badly that they can’t limit you. Believe in yourself and never let yourself be defeated by anyone. Your time will come,” she says. 

Zahra is a devout Muslim and has fasted for as long as she can remember. The holiday has always been special to her, and she describes it as a fantastic period where you spend time with your nearest and dearest. She has always combined training and fasting, and explains that she has never found it to be a problem. However, she has had to put up with a great deal of prejudice.

“I’ve had coaches who haven’t really accepted that I’m fasting, and you hear a lot of comments which suggest that people are prejudiced. Comments such as that fasting is bad for you, and so on. I also remember one occasion when I had to move away to fix my hijab, but when I came back I was told they thought I’d fainted. So yes, you hear a lot of comments and there are definitely people who don’t accept it yet,” she says.

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Zahra, on the other hand, thinks that she performs better when she is fasting, and believes it is a combination of the spiritual and physical that make her feel lighter and more alert. However, she also emphasises that it is important to check and listen to your body during the period when you are fasting.  

“It’s important that you don’t do much. You might be able to talk with your coach and agree a different approach during this period, focusing more on technique rather than condition, for example. You train as hard as you can and, if you feel that things aren’t going well, you slow down. You have to find a good balance,” she says, continuing: 

“I make sure I drink plenty of water and eat nutritious food in the morning before starting my fast. I then make sure I work at my own pace during training. So I check how everything is feeling on the first day, and then push harder and harder.”