Palestinians have been resisting the occupation from generation to generation through different methods, and to Dania Nour, it’s through representing her country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 17th years old champion, Dania Nour, who is also originally from Bethlehem, is the youngest Palestinian swimmer to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics games. Nour competed in the women’s 50-meter freestyle swimming race. Although her score did not qualify her to advance, yet she achieved a new personal record of 30.43 seconds.
Her journey began at the age of five when her parents decided to register her in a swimming class for both learning the basic skills of swimming and practicing physical activity. In the beginning, Nour did not enjoy swimming, although she earned four medals in her first national competition. Her passion for swimming grew when she participated in her first international competition at the age of 12, earning three medals in the 2015 Arab swimming championship that was held in Qatar.
Despite the obstacles she regularly encounters as a young Palestinian woman, her vivid will and determination to achieve her dream of representing Palestine in the Olympics were the driving factors to remain focused and ensure to not miss any swimming practice. Previously, Dania participated in two World Championships in 2018 and 2019 as well as the Asian Championship in 2018, which qualified her to participate in the Olympics.
“I am very proud to belong to the Palestine team who gave us the chance to participate in this big international event and show the world that we can be ambitious swimmers even if we don’t have Olympic standard pools and many other requirements the swimmer needs,” Nour told Kayani Project. “Being in the Olympics was a dream for me and this confirms that nothing is impossible. Everyone should stick to their dreams and strive to achieve their goals and ambitions.”
While other swimmers prepared for the race in a 50m pool, Nour faced serious challenges to find a swimming pool to practice in. She either had to drive for three hours to practice in a swimming pool in Ramallah or wake up early at 4 am to cross the checkpoints to go to Jerusalem.
She, however, constantly tried to adapt to the restrictions that both COVID-19 pandemic and the occupation imposed on her.
“I was training in Palestine in a 25m swimming pool, thanks to my coach Mohammad Halman. Every winter, this pool closes so I usually have a hard time finding a pool to practice,” Nour said. “Jerusalem was closer to me but as a Palestinian, I need permission to pass the checkpoints. Sadly, when I got the permission again, all pools were closed due to the pandemic.”
During the pandemic, Nour had to stop swimming for more than a year and consequently went backward in her numbers. However, despite all obstacles, she launched a workout schedule at home to maintain her endurance and physical shape for the Olympics. Luckily, she got the opportunity to participate in a five-week boot camp in Berlin, Germany, before flying to the Olympics.
“It is a big responsibility to be part of this big event and represent my country. Holding the Palestinian flag during Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony was such a great feeling that I will never forget,” Nour mentioned.
Nour recently graduated with the third-highest score in her Abitur German exams from Talitha Kumi German high school in Beit Jala, Palestine. Currently, she is searching for a prestigious university in the United States that could enable her to continue swimming professionally. She is also thankful for her parents who fully supported her from the beginning.
“My dream is to keep improving and achieve new records for Palestine. I know it won’t be easy for me as a Palestinian woman but I choose to have a positive mindset and never to let my passion die,” Nour ended.