Gaza girls take plunge in male-dominated sport
After her father's death by Israeli shelling, a teenager from Gaza decided to realize his dream — having an international swimmer in the family.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Fatima Abu Shedeq has been undergoing intensive swimming training three days a week, six hours a day inside the sports club in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Fatima began swimming 2015, following the death of her father, Jalil, in 2014; he was killed during the shelling of Beit Lahia by Israeli tanks. Her father was hit by a shell right in front of their house.
“I had to find a way to work out my emotional strain after the death of my father. I found relief in swimming. My father used to take me to the sea, hoping that one day our family would have a professional swimmer,” Fatima told Al-Monitor, explaining that she felt closer to her father’s memory when she swam.
Her first goal is to make the Palestinian national swimming team and go to Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
