PERSONAL: Tunisian Paralympic champion Rima Abdelli turns adversity into advocacy

Record ID: 1983029

  • Title: PERSONAL: Tunisian Paralympic champion Rima Abdelli turns adversity into advocacy
  • Date: 7th March 2025
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN ATHLETE AND PARALYMPIC CHAMPION, RIMA ABDELLI, SAYING: "I was severely bullied before. Once, a woman came with her young granddaughter and told her, 'Be careful not to talk to short people, because short people eat children.' Imagine that a four or five-year-old girl's grandmother is telling her these words. It planted an idea in her mind to r
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Athlete Rima Abdelli Tunisia Womens day
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: Tunisia
  • Topics: Africa,Human-Led Feature,Human-Led Stories
  • Reuters ID: LVA009693506032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tunisian Paralympic shot put champion Rima Abdelli, 37, is leveraging her physical difference as a source of strength and pride, inspiring women across Tunisia. Despite experiencing persistent bullying throughout her life, Abdelli has excelled in athletics.
    "I was severely bullied before," Abdelli shared in an interview with Reuters.
    "Once, a woman came with her young granddaughter and told her, 'Be careful not to talk to short people, because short people eat children," she added.
    The bullying eventually targeted her family, raising doubts about her right to marry and have children.
    In response to the ongoing harassment, Abdelli and her husband Yassine Ben Salah launched anti-bullying campaigns on various social media platforms. These campaigns aim to foster acceptance of differences and amplify the voices of people with disabilities. The couple, who draw strength from each other and their son, emphasize that nothing can hamper their happiness and love for life. "There are many people who say a lot of bad things to me, but God always sends me people who say, 'We are here with you, we have complete confidence in you,'" Abdelli noted.
    Abdelli's journey into sports led her to win a bronze medal at the 2015 World Para Athletics Championships in Qatar, followed by silver and gold medals in subsequent competitions. Currently residing in Hammamet, she balances training locally with roles as a sports animator and referee, and also crafts pearl bags as a side business.
    "When they tell me I can't do something, but I discovered in the end that I can do everything and better than all of them. In my own way, in the end, I will be distinguished from them - different and distinguished," she said.
    (Production: Jihed Abidellaoui)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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