Maryam
 Azarmehr,
 38,
 was
 one
 of
 the
 first
 women
 in
 Iran
 to
 become
 a
 Taekwondo
 fighter.
 She
 is
 a
 pioneer
 and
 something
 of
 an
 icon
 among
 Iranian
 female
 Taekwondo
 fighters.
 Azarmehr
 started
 at
 a
 time
 when
 women
 were
 not
 allowed
 to
 leave
 the
 house
 after
 4pm.
 She
 was
 18
 back
 then
 ‐
 ten
 years
 after
 the
 Islamic
 Revolution
 of
 1979
 and
 at
 the
 end
 of
 the
 Iran‐Iraq‐war.
 Azarmehr’s
 whole 
life
 now
 revolves 
around 
the 
women’s 
sports
 club.

“Everything
 used
 to
 be
 much
 stricter”,
 says
 Maryam
 Azarmehr,
 and
 her
 green
 eyes
 begin
 to
 sparkle.
 15
 years
 ago,
 women
 were
 not
 allowed
 to
 wear
 make‐up
 in
 the
 streets.
 She
 is
 certain
 that
 “with
 today ́s
 contest
 uniform,
 we
 could
 not
 have
 set
 a
 foot
 outside,
 let
 alone
 participate
 in
 a
 public
 competition”.
 For
 this
 reason
 Azarmehr
 could
 never
 dream
 of
 international 
recognition,
much 
less 
of 
taking 
part 
in 
the 
Olympic 
Games
 herself.

But
 she
 can
 live
 this
 dream
 through
 Sara.
 “Her
 motivation
 is
 mine,
 too.
 I
 get
 up
 every
 morning
 and
 support
 Sara 
in
what
 was
 never 
possible 
for
me.”