Tina Rahimi: Australia's hijabi boxer has no fear heading to her first Olympics - MASHAHER

Tina Rahimi trains at the Brotherhood boxing gym in Western Sydney but considers herself a role model for the sisterhood.

The 28-year-old boxer has qualified for her first Olympics, two years after winning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.

She will be the first female Muslim boxer to represent Australia at the Olympic Games, and she’s made it to Paris without the same government funding enjoyed by other sports.

She will also wear a hijab in the competition where French women are controversially banned from doing the same.

She tells SBS News why she’s happy to keep having the same conversations about identity and representation.

Why did you start boxing and how did you know you were good at it?

It was just for me to just get fit. It wasn’t anything I was looking to take serious, but I was really good at it.

I would say I was pretty competitive. I was really keen to keep going back to sessions and just training hard. I was always eager to learn more and just keep getting better and better.

And then as soon as I found out it was actually good and strong, I knew that I had the power and the strength. And then as soon as I started sparring and I knew, I was like, ‘Oh wow, I’m actually a pretty strong girl.’ And I just had no fear.

A lot of people are scared to get hit, obviously, but I just never had that fear, even when sparring the boys. I just had the heart to just keep coming forward and I just had that no-give-up personality.

How did it feel qualifying for your first Olympics?

For me, I knew I was going to do it. I just had that mindset where I knew it was going to happen. I was like, ‘I’m definitely qualifying.’ I knew that it was something that was just meant to be for me, but when it did happen, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I actually did it.’

And I think as much as I was prepared for it, the moment when it actually happened, it was just an indescribable feeling. It was just so exciting. And yeah, I think it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

Does it feel really different to other competitions?

Yeah, I guess. I know when I made the Commonwealth Games team, I know that that was another great feeling as well, because I sort of just came out of nowhere and I shocked everyone.

So I think that was another amazing feeling for me to qualify. But this is the Olympics. Everyone around the world dreams to go to the Olympics.

What’s it like being a woman and being Muslim in this sport?

I think I’m really proud, to be honest. I think there are eyes on me, because it’s not common for a female boxer, I guess, or in general, just a Muslim woman to be in her hijab and proud to be going to the Olympics.

I know a lot of people have fear of the eyes on them and standing out because obviously as a woman wearing the hijab, I’ll be standing out because I’m not looking like everyone else.

So I think it’s a really proud moment and I know that I have people who are looking up to me and thinking ‘If she can do it, why can’t I do it?’

If I’m feeling welcomed, if it’s very inclusive, there’s no discrimination, then it just gives a lot of people hope to do whatever they want in life, I guess.

Does it bother you when people want to talk about the hijab all the time? Do you wish they’d sort of just get on with it? Or do you think it’s important to keep having those conversations?

I think they’re just curious because, obviously, it’s just something they’re not used to seeing. I know from a lot of people and a lot of messages that I received.

I think it’s really important because a lot of people don’t feel confident to be doing major things [if they wear a hijab]. They might feel like they’re not wanted or they’re not going to feel accepted in a way.

So I think it’s important because it shows that it doesn’t matter how you look and how you’re dressed — that shouldn’t really stop you from achieving your dreams and wanting to achieve your dreams.

So, I think it is really important and it just gives a lot of people hope, but not just Muslim women. I feel like anyone who stands out and looks different from any religion or race.

What kind of support have you had from the Western Sydney community?

It’s amazing, the amount of sponsors and the amount of people that are actually jumping on board to support me, especially with a sport like boxing.

There’s actually no government funding. I can tell you that we actually receive no money from the government. I don’t receive a dollar from the government, as bad as it sounds.

So the fact that I’m an Olympian, it’s actually really, really stressful for me to be travelling so much to be going overseas. We’ve got bills to pay and the fact that I’ve got so amazing sponsors who are backing me and allowing me to do what I love, it’s just incredible.

So I’ve just got so much support and when I’m out in the street and people recognise me and they just give me so much encouraging words and it’s just, the support has been really, really great. And so the pressure is definitely real.

Source Agencies

Tina Rahimi: Australia’s hijabi boxer has no fear heading to her first Olympics – MASHAHER

Why did you start boxing and how did you know you were good at it?

How did it feel qualifying for your first Olympics?

Does it feel really different to other competitions?

What’s it like being a woman and being Muslim in this sport?

Does it bother you when people want to talk about the hijab all the time? Do you wish they’d sort of just get on with it? Or do you think it’s important to keep having those conversations?

What kind of support have you had from the Western Sydney community?

WATCH: Prince William ecstatic as he celebrates England's winning penalty against Switzerland – MASHAHER

Superman Wrapped The Same Week Guardians Of The Galaxy Hit 10 Years, And You Better Believe James Gunn Celebrated Both – MASHAHER

Taylor Swift Leads Billboard 200 as Twenty One Pilots Debuts at No. 3 – MASHAHER