Palestinians are heading to Paris to represent their people.
Valerie Tarazi, a Palestinian-American swimmer, recalled her inspiration: Michael Phelps winning eight golds in Beijing in 2008. “That was like my first ‘Oh my gosh, I want to be an Olympian’,” she said. For Tarazi and many athletes, Paris represents a dream come true. However, her participation also serves as a commemoration after nine months of war in Gaza and the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians. “It’s me honoring them,” she stated.
Born and raised in the US, Tarazi, who competes in the 200m individual medley, has strong ties to Gaza’s Christian community. She shared that four extended family members died in an Israeli bombing last December. “It takes a toll on us,” she said about Gaza’s rising death toll, nearing 40,000. “These are our friends, our family, our teammates or national team members.”
Since 1995, the International Olympic Committee has recognized Palestine, and three-quarters of UN members now do as well. However, the US, Britain, and France, the host of this year’s games, do not. Despite her rigorous training and sacrifices, Tarazi acknowledges her privileged position. She feels honored to carry the flag at the world’s greatest sporting event. “My little bit of pain is absolutely nothing compared to what they go through every single day,” she noted.
Tamer Qaoud, one of her teammates, struggles to keep his sporting dreams alive. His home in Gaza has been destroyed, forcing his family to move twice and now live in a tent in Deir el-Balah. “My dream was to reach the Olympics,” he told the BBC. “Unfortunately, due to the war and circumstances, we couldn’t leave Gaza.”
Qaoud, a 1500-meter runner, has already represented Palestine twice. At the Arab Games in Algiers, he wore running spikes for the first time. It was also the first time he ran on something other than concrete. He joined Tarazi at the Asian Games in China last September. When war broke out in Gaza in early October, Qaoud had to return home. His best time falls short of the Olympic qualifying mark, and any chance of competing in Paris quickly disappeared.
“I wanted to compete with the world’s best athletes, like Jakob,” he said, referring to Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the current men’s 1500 world champion. “I wanted to run alongside him, to feel what it’s like to compete with the world’s best.” Despite the challenging conditions in Deir el-Balah, Qaoud continues to train, wearing his white Palestinian uniform, under the watchful eyes of curious children. His old training ground, Gaza City’s Yarmouk Stadium, is now a wasteland. Displaced families seek shelter amid the stands.
His coach, Bilal Abu Samaan, was killed in an Israeli airstrike last December. According to the Palestinian Football Association, 182 athletes and sports officials have died since last October. Qaoud fears his time may never come unless he can leave Gaza. “The war destroyed everything, shattering our dreams,” he said. “I hope to leave Gaza, join a training camp, regain my old strength, and come back stronger than before.”
Meanwhile, in Paris, another Palestinian swimmer, Yazan al-Bawwab, feels proud to represent a place where playing sports is a challenge. “We don’t have a pool in Palestine,” he said. “We don’t have infrastructure.” Like Tarazi, al-Bawwab was born and raised abroad, but he proudly wears his uniform and identity. “France does not recognize Palestine as a country,” al-Bawwab stated defiantly. “I’m here, raising the flag.”
In summary, these Palestinian athletes head to Paris with determination and pride. They aim to honor their people and represent their homeland on the world’s grandest stage. Their participation signifies resilience, remembrance, and hope for a better future.