Afghan refugee b-girl prepares for Olympic debut

STORY: Twenty-one-year-old b-girl Manizha Talash is practicing her craft.

:: Madrid, Spain

She will be among the first athletes to compete in breaking at the Olympics when it debuts in Paris this summer.

The competitive form of breakdancing blends artistry and dance with acrobatic moves…

Something Talash says she would never have been able to do in her native Afghanistan.

“If I were in Afghanistan, I would not live because the Taliban do not like this sport I am doing and it is very dangerous for me and my family, but I am here doing it, I am not afraid.”

:: Kabul, Afghanistan

:: File

Talash was once the only woman on a 56-member breaking crew in Kabul.

As the word spread about Afghanistan's first B-Girl, she says she faced opposition and even death threats.

Once the Taliban took control in 2021, music and dancing - considered un-Islamic - were outlawed.

Since then, most women and girls have been barred from high school and universities.

“When the Taliban came I thought ‘Well, it's a very difficult time. What do you want to do? Do you want to be here with your family, or do you want to do more than being in Afghanistan?’"

So Talash left.

She spent a year in Pakistan before being granted refugee status in Spain.

In early 2024, with the help of some friends, the Refugee Olympic Team found Talash and secured her spot in Paris.

“I am happy that I am here and now I want to do something for my people who are in Afghanistan, my girls, my friends. So it is very difficult, but I want to do things, not just say them.”