Dania Nour (17) 50 meter freestyle swimmer for the Palestinian team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
When Dania was 6 she was signed up for her first swimming class by her parents. Even though she excelled in the sport, she only started loving it when she won her first international medal at 11 years old.
Dania is from Bethlehem, and the closest pool is in Jerusalem. In order to get trained there, she has to wake up at 4:30am, pass the check points, train for a few hours, and drive back through the checkpoints again to get home.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, she could not make that journey anymore to practice, but continued to keep herself fit at home. Dania is now preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, practicing for a minimum of 4 hours a day. Her message is to never give up, always think positive, and never let your passion die.
