Maria Toorpakai Wazir: The Girl Who Hid from the Taliban in Plain Sight

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Growing up in the tribal region of Pakistan, Maria Toorpakai pretended she was a boy in order to compete as a weightlifter. Later she became an internationally known squash player.

“Sometimes I don’t believe who I am today. It’s unbelievable for me. I come from that region and there the girls are not allowed to go outside the house, they are not allowed to get education. [At a] young age they are getting married. So it’s a very sad situation in there for girls, and I am very lucky to be who I am today.”

(image taken from this article)