Whenever you say “Lebanon”, the first thing that currently comes to anyone’s mind are both the economic collapse and the terrible Beirut blast, but the people of Lebanon have the will, the hope and the strength to change this and make “Lebanon” a more positive word.

It’s no doubt that creativity and cleverness both lie within the heart of the Lebanese people, and one more time, the Lebanese woman, just like Beirut, proved that despite everything, she can and she will rise, and the Olympics were her playground.

One year after the 4^th of August blast that destroyed Beirut and its people, Lebanese female athletes showed the world what it means to be resilient and shined at the Olympics. So keep scrolling and meet the five powerful women that should be on your radar. 

Ray Bassil

UNDP youth and gender Goodwill Ambassador, Lebanese trap shooter Ray Bassil broke every obstacle and became the first Arab woman to compete in two Olympic Games and win 3 consecutive world cup medals in Trap shooting.

Shooting is a tough sport that requires both great skills and nerve, and Ray Bassil proved she can stay strong under all the enormous pressure she goes through while playing. 

She kicked off trap shooting when she was 8 years old encouraged by her father, and later began her competitive career in 2006. The 6 times world champion medalist took her 13.4 K followers with her to the Olympics in Tokyo, as she shared everything about the games and the city.

Mahassen Hala Fattouh

One more success story is the one of Mahassen Hala Fattouh. The 2020 champion who ranks first in Asia, represented Lebanon in weightlifting at the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo and became the first Lebanese weightlifter to represent the country at the Olympics.

The 31-year-old athlete started weightlifting in 2004. In 2015, Hala earned the first Olympic qualification points at the IWF World Championship held in Houston, USA and in 2017, a top 10 finish at the IWF World Championships in Anaheim, USA. In 2018, Hala earned the first ever international medial for Lebanon in Women's Weightlifting at the XVIII Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, Spain. In 2019, she earned 3 gold medals and became the first female Arab Champion for Lebanon at the Arab Championship held in Amman, Jordan.

She described her qualification for the Olympics as “historic,” and “something that happens only once in a lifetime”.

Step into her Instagram and get all the vibes from her Olympics in Tokyo.

Gabriella Douaihy  

Gabriella Douaihy is a 22-year-old Lebanese swimmer who competed at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, her second time at the Olympics after she competed in the first round of the women's 400 meter freestyle event at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.

“Swimming at the Olympics for the second time was a dream, a dream that became a reality” said Douaihy on her Instagram where she also shared snaps of her Tokyo bound.

Her older sister Christelle Doueihy has also represented Lebanon in swimming, and competed at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjin, China.