Bankstown resident Tina Rahimi Australia’s first women’s Olympic boxer
After joining a random boxing class at her gym seven years ago, Bankstown resident Tina Rahimi has her sights set on winning gold in Paris as Australia’s first women’s Olympic boxer.
The Express
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After joining a random boxing class at her gym seven years ago, Bankstown resident Tina Rahimi has her sights set on winning gold in Paris as Australia’s first women’s Olympic boxer.
The 27-year-old is six months away from making her Olympic debut and said it’s been “exciting but scary” to have all eyes on her as she enters the international ring.
“When you’re the first to do something it’s a bit overwhelming but at the same time I want to be an inspiration to everyone,” she said.
“I want to show everyone that you don’t have to look or dress a certain way, it’s all about your performance and determination.”
When the Bankstown resident isn’t training at the Brotherhood Boxing Club in Greenacre, she’s answering heartfelt messages from young Muslim women who credit the boxing star for giving them the confidence to wear their hijab during sporting events.
“I had a 14-year-old message me and asked me how I had the confidence to compete in my hijab because she’s scared about what people will think or how they’ll treat her at her soccer game,” she said.
“I gave her some advice because I understand how she’s feeling as I have to wear the hijab to cover my hair.”
While Tina’s goal is to win gold at the Olympics alongside her team, her plans outside the ring are another passion she’s excited to follow.
Since starting her boxing journey in 2017 and leaving behind a career as a makeup artist, she said creating a women-only gym to help build confidence and self-defence is a big goal for the future.
“I do want to build my own gym specifically for women to teach proper boxing … and I can build a good community of young confident women who can smash their goals,” she said.
“I want to spread the message of don’t let being Muslim or wearing the hijab stop you from doing anything you want.”
The featherweight division boxer said she’s looking to start a family after her Olympics debut but said she’ll “have to wait and see” as boxing takes up a lot of her time.
“I have my gym in mind and to help women around the world build their confidence but eventually I want to settle down but at the moment my eyes are on the Olympics.”
With only six-months away from Paris 2024, the 27-year-old, who wears long sleeves and a full-length hijab under protective headgear when she boxes, said Paris’s decision to ban their athletes from wearing Islamic veils was ‘ridiculous’.
“I think it’s really ridiculous, who are they to tell any women how they should dress?,” she said.
“Why should it matter if the woman wears a hijab? Some people don’t want to take off their hijab and they lose the chance to compete but they have so much faith in God and they’re not willing to lose that faith.”
“Some of these women will instead choose not to compete and you don’t know the potential these women have.”
Tina will fly to Paris in July and thanked her sponsors Frida from LA Doughnuts and Pete and Hannah from Ray White Western Sydney for their support.
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