Saman Soltani, a refugee from Iran, may have finished last in the final sprint canoe race of the Paris Games. But the smile on her face was still a thousand watts despite the fact that her Olympics ended at the quarterfinal stage.

She said that she is delighted to have achieved her Olympic goal and hopes she has inspired other people.

She said, "It's my goal to inspire people to do good." She said: "Sometimes, life can be really difficult and it seems impossible to continue. But that is exactly when you need to persevere.

You must believe in yourself, listen to those who love you and trust you and remain positive.

Soltani, who began as a swimmer with artistic flair in Iran, took up kayaking to reach the Olympics.

She said: "I was very sad after I won the silver medal at the Asian Championships in 2018. I had no chance to go to the Olympics. Not because I could not, it was because I was Iran's main hope, but because they did not send us.

Soltani was forced to apply for asylum in Austria, in 2022. This marked her beginning to join the Paris Games refugee team, although she did not give details.

She explained that "anything bad can happen to you and you only have two options: either accept it, improve your life or let it break you."

Then I tried to inspire other people by showing them how to do it.

The rebuilding of Vienna began.

I won both the sprint and marathon Austrian Championships, with the support of the Austrian Olympic Committee and (Austrian Canoeing Federation).

She said, "They accepted me as a refugee after they sent my case off to the International Canoe Federation (ICF) and International Olympic Committee."

Soltani's presence has ignited the atmosphere at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, east of Paris. She also said that she enjoyed her time in the Olympic Village.

She added, grinning: "I'm sure I have spoken to every person there at least one time."

Soltani, who is competing in Paris for the refugees' team as a refugee athlete, said that she feels the support of Iranians.

She explained, "I am Iranian and have a great reputation in Iran. I still hold that position because there are many athletes who look up to me and I serve as a model for many Iranian women and Iranians."

They are very proud of me." Reporting by Philip O'Connor, Editing by Ken Ferry

(source: Reuters)