From Child Bride to Champion: The Inspiring Journey of Roya Karimi

The woman standing on stage glistens in a crystal-studded bikini. Her glowing, tanned skin shows off each of her well-defined muscle lines, the result of hours of weight training in the gym. Roya Karimi's perfectly-applied make-up and highlighted blonde hair would not look out of place in the finals of Miss Universe.It is hard to imagine that just 15 years ago, she was a teenage mother in Afghanistan, married off as a child bride, before she escaped to her new life. Now aged 30, she is one of Europe's top bodybuilders and will be competing in the World Bodybuilding Championships this week, having only taken up the sport professionally less than two years ago.Roya fled Afghanistan with her mother and young son and sought refuge in Norway, where she continued her education, became a nurse, and met her new husband, who also bodybuilds. Bodybuilding has helped her break free from the mental and social limitations imposed on her for years.Roya's life story is about rebuilding her identity while inspiring women in her home country who face widespread restrictions. With the Taliban's return to power, the situation for women in Afghanistan has worsened, with bans on education and employment.Her decision to leave her prior life in Afghanistan was not easy; she faced many risks to her identity. In Norway, she found a new environment, continued her nursing profession and met her second husband, Kamal Jalaluddin, who supports her journey into bodybuilding. Over the last eighteen months, just before competing in Spain, Roya has achieved remarkable success in bodybuilding competitions, aiming to represent Afghan women in a powerful light on the global stage.