MAZ
Masomah Ali Zada
Refugee Olympic Team Paris 2024
Head of Mission
BIO
Masomah Ali Zada is an Afghan cyclist who competed for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Born into a persecuted Shiite minority, her family fled Afghanistan to escape Taliban threats, reaching Iran by foot, though they were denied refugee rights there. It was in Iran that she learned to cycle, a skill she further developed after returning to Afghanistan, despite severe societal opposition. After enduring threats, she sought asylum in France in 2017. In 2019, she became the first refugee in France to earn an Olympic scholarship. In 2022, Ali Zada was appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission, marking a historic first for a refugee athlete.
Loading