Kimia Yousofi: Running Beyond the Finish Line

Kimia Yousofi’s Speech – Flag Raising Ceremony of Afghanistan’s Independence Day, Embassy of Afghanistan, Canberra

26 August 2025

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Dear friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today we gather with hearts full of pride and deep emotion to celebrate the 106th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence. The tricolour flag that now rises before us is more than a national emblem – it is the testament of our history. It carries the memory of countless women and men who sacrificed their lives for freedom, dignity, and a brighter future for our children.

For me, as an Afghan woman and an athlete, standing before you today in my Olympic jersey is profoundly meaningful. I have had the honour of representing Afghanistan in three Olympic Games – Rio, Tokyo, and Paris – running beneath this very flag. Every step I took on that track was a message to the world: that Afghanistan still stands, and that Afghan women still have the right to be seen, to be heard, and to shine.

I grew up in exile, but it was in the years of the Republic that I returned, trained, and found the path to the Olympics – years when doors, however imperfectly, were open to women. I was given the chance to train, to study, and to represent my nation. Yet today, in that same homeland, thousands of girls are not even allowed to attend school. The chance to play sports, to make music, to create art – even the right to breathe freely – has been taken from them.

This painful contrast breaks my heart. Because I know that behind every girl in Afghanistan whose future has been shut away, there are thousands of buried dreams – dreams that could have transformed the destiny of our nation.
But here, in exile, under this flag, we carry a responsibility. The responsibility to be their voice, to keep their hopes alive, and to remind the world that Afghanistan is not defined by the Taliban. Afghanistan is this tricolour flag, it is a history of resistance, it is women and men who never surrender.

Today, I stand proudly to say: though I am only a runner, I believe that every small step can be part of the long path to freedom. Sport has taught me that there is no true finish line – every ending is simply the beginning of another race.
I wear my Olympic jersey today with pride, and I dream of the day when I can wear it once more in Afghanistan, alongside other athletes – women and men – running freely for our country.

Let us pledge together that this flag, and this day of independence, will not be remembered only as echoes of the past, but as inspiration for the future. A future where Afghan girls can once again go to school, play sports, sing songs, and lift their flag high in the world with pride.

Long live Afghanistan’s independence! Long live our nation and our flag! And long live the brave women and girls of Afghanistan!