Nigara Shaheen’s road to this year’s Paris Olympics has been treacherous. Born in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in 1993, she was just six months old when her parents fled the country’s raging civil war and carried her and her siblings across the border into Pakistan. In Peshawar, she grew into a judo fighter, a sport she appreciated for its emphasis on intellect over aggression.
Shaheen’s love of judo took her all over: back to Afghanistan, where she endured ambient gunfire and harassment to train and earn her undergraduate degree; to Russia (again, to train, albeit unsuccessfully, during COVID); and, in 2021, to the Tokyo Olympics. After struggling to find a country that would host her, she competed on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, a group of athletes representing the millions of displaced people around the world. A shoulder injury cost Shaheen a place on the podium, but this summer, she’ll get a second chance.
Shaheen, who is now 30, has been preparing for the Paris Games in Toronto since 2022. She has a new dojo, a new Canadian permanent resident card, a new degree from Scarborough’s Centennial College and a renewed desire to medal. In an in-depth interview for Maclean’s, Shaheen says: “Coming to Canada meant getting so many opportunities that I’d never had. When I train now, I know I won’t be harassed. There won’t be bombs or guns firing. I’m grateful for that peace.”
–Katie Underwood, managing editor, Maclean’s
