Saudi Arabia's First Female Judo Athlete Wins Greater Victory

Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani celebrates being one of the first two female athletes from Saudi Arabia to compete in the Olympics.

Saudi Arabia has had a longstanding tradition of strict expectations on what people should do, including how women should and shouldn't act. In a changing world, things are even beginning to change in the conservative Middle Eastern kingdom. Long discouraged from participating in public athletic competitions, Saudi Arabia took a big step forward by allowing their first two female athletes to compete in Olympics this summer in London.

One of these two distinct athletes is Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani. Competing as just a teenager, her sport is judo. Due to the special circumstances, she was allowed to compete against the high-level black belts typical of the competition, despite only being a blue belt herself. In Shahrkhani's first match, things started out slowly before she was defeated in just 82 seconds. As she arose from the mat, the crowd stood and cheered. They had just witnessed history.

This is a historic day. Not only in the history of the Olympics, but furthermore in the history of Saudi Arabia. For a country closed to change for so long, this is a big step forward in the right direction. While many around the world celebrate this accomplishment, it means something extraordinarily special to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia itself. Not being a Saudi Arabian myself, I will rely on the words of Saudi blogger Rafid Fatani. He stated, "I'll walk out later with the Saudi flag around my neck and my head up high as if we won the biggest gold medal in the history of the Olympians."

What a historic accomplishment this is. Shahrkhani will still face criticism and judgment from some who object to her competing. But she will also have the respect and adoration of millions around the world. I applaud the efforts of Shahrkhani, those who made it so that she could compete, and those who continue to support her now. The bravery this woman demonstrated should be inspiring to us all.