Zakia Khudadadi

Refugee Paralympic Team

Paralympic Medalist

BIO

Zakia Khudadadi is a para-taekwondo athlete and the first Afghan woman to compete internationally in this sport. At 18, Khudadadi won the African Para-Taekwondo Championship, which qualified her for the 2020 Paralympics. Although the Taliban's return to power nearly prevented her participation, she fled Afghanistan and gained permission from the International Paralympic Committee, becoming the first Afghan woman to compete post-Taliban rule. At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, she won the bronze medal and became the first-ever medallist for the Refugee Paralympic Team.