Feature: Etching dreams with iron will, Iran's female para-snowboarder eyes Beijing success

TEHRAN, March 1 (Xinhua) -- To deafening cheers and applause, she stepped into that majestical stadium as a member of the Iranian delegation, marching with athletes from around the globe at the Paralympics opening ceremony.

This was a dream come true for Iranian para-snowboarder Sedigheh Rouzbeh at PyeongChang 2018.

People all have dreams, but only a few have firm determination. A mother of two sons - 11-year-old Ilya and six-year-old Amir - Rouzbeh is one of them.

The 40-year-old has become an elite para-snowboarder in just five years, despite her congenital disability.

Rouzbeh was born and raised in a small village in the northern Iranian province of Alborz. She moved to Tehran for college, acquiring a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Master of Science in Marketing.

NEVER TOO LATE

Her long-held dream came true unexpectedly at the age of 36, a few months after giving birth to her second child and when she was least expecting it.

In fact, marriage changed her life. In 2005, she married Sadeq Kalhor, Iran's signature para-skier who has competed in five Winter Paralympics and won numerous medals in both domestic and international tournaments.

Encouraged by her husband, Rouzbeh tried skiing for the first time five years after her marriage.

"Despite my disability, I have been exercising regularly since I was a child. My father was a mountaineer and would take me with him to the mountain even though I would slow him down," she recalled.

Rouzbeh has keen interest in sport, as she used to be a member of her high school volleyball team. "I would always participate in recreational sports instead of competitions," she said.

However, her seven-year college life didn't involve many sporting activities due to force majeure.

In 2017, following the establishment of Iran's Para-skiing Association, its head Isa Saveh Shemshaki and Rouzbeh's husband encouraged her to start competitive para-snowboarding as they were scouting for talents across the country.

"At that time, I had given birth only three months ago. In no way was I thinking of doing a sport competitively," said Rouzbeh.

Shemshaki told her that she would be able to secure a place at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang if she simply completed the national para-snowboarding competitions with the points required by the International Ski Federation.

"After hearing the offer, the idea of my long-held dream of marching in the Paralympics opening ceremony flashed through my mind," Rouzbeh noted.

"Although the dream seemed impossible to achieve, I had always cherished it. With enthusiasm and motivation, I started training. The beginning days were very tough as I was not physically fit for any competitions. But I kept training hard and I managed to book a place at the Pyeongchang Paralympics."

One day before leaving Iran for South Korea, Rouzbeh sustained a knee injury while skiing, an incident that would end any young athletes' competitive career, let alone an athlete in her late 30s, unless one had an iron will and determination.

"Physicians told me that since the injury was not very severe, I could probably be ready for the Games by receiving physiotherapy in the remaining days. I took the risk. I underwent physiotherapy three times a day in South Korea while the other members of the delegations were attending training sessions," said Rouzbeh.

HARD WORK, STRONG WILL PAY OFF

The day of the event arrived, and Rouzbeh had only just begun to walk again.

"I was gripped by fear and stress, I was not feeling well at all and I did not trust my knee. Rain made the slope very icy," she said. "On my first attempt, I suddenly stumbled midway down the slope but managed to keep my balance by clawing at the icy surface."

She pulled herself up by smashing the ice with the board. Fans, athletes, and coaches kept applauding and cheering. Eventually, she crossed the finish line.

"Everybody stood up and applauded me as they had seen how hard I had fought to finish the run. My second attempt was far better, helping me finish in eighth place in the competition. After the event, positive comments kept coming from other athletes and coaches, they said I was a real warrior," said Rouzbeh, who was selected to be the Iranian delegation's flag bearer at the closing ceremony.

Rouzbeh has secured a place at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics by getting enough points in the World Championships in the Netherlands.

Indebted to the Iranian people, she said that she would do her best in Beijing.

Rouzbeh mentioned that China has been a great host to the Winter Games with high-quality venues and facilities, adding that she is particularly amazed at China's successful pandemic prevention measures.

Rouzbeh described the Chinese as very hardworking people with great teamwork.

Winning a Paralympic medal is her next dream, and she says she hopes that could come true in the upcoming month in Beijing.