Nadia Nadim: A Story of Strokes of Fate and Success

Nadia was born in 1988 in Herat, Afghanistan, and grew up as one of five daughters. When she was 11 years old, the Taliban kidnapped her father, who was an army general, and killed him. For four years, the family thought her father was imprisoned only because of his military position, and therefore believed he would return.

Nadim describes the loss of her personal hero as a significant turning point in her life. At that time, women were not allowed to leave the house without a male escort. Girls were no longer allowed to go to school, watch television, or listen to music. "You always had to be accompanied. Even if you just went shopping. You weren't allowed to show any part of your skin. People lived in a constant state of fear.  

The family decided to sell their belongings and flee on foot and under false identities to Pakistan to start a new life. Contacts organized them a flight to Italy. Once there, they spent a few days in a truck. The actual destination: London, because relatives lived there.

But the family ended up in a refugee camp in Denmark. "After a few days, we all got out of the truck, expecting to see Big Ben. But we didn't. All we saw were trees. We asked a passerby where we were and learned that the bus had dropped us off in Denmark." That finally offered them a safe and free life again.

On her first walk in her newfound freedom, Nadia passed a group of girls playing soccer. She remembers being scared at first and not knowing if it was okay to be there.

As she watched from the fences, she felt she actually wanted to be on the field with the girls. "I thought, 'That looks really cool, I want to do that,'" she said. After that day, she kept coming back until she finally got up the courage to ask the coach if she could join. Although she didn't speak English, Nadia was able to convey to the coach, hands down, that she would like to play. "Suddenly, I joined in the warm-ups and training drills." And so began her love affair with soccer. 

With her family granted asylum in Denmark, Nadim grew up in Aarhus, where she began her professional career at GUG Boldklub. After a few stints with Danish clubs, Nadia went on loan to Sky Blue FC in the US in 2014 before playing for Portland Thorns FC in 2016, winning the NWSL Championship with them.

The striker then moved to Manchester City in 2017 and Paris Saint German in 2019. There she won the French championship in the 2020/21 season and reached the final of the Champions League. Today, the 34-year-old is back in the USA and plays for Racing Louisville FC.

Since Nadim became a Danish citizen in 2009, she has played for the Danish national team, for which she also made her debut in March 2009. Nadia has already played 99 international matches for them, scoring 38 goals. She participated in three European Championships and one World Cup.

But she never saw soccer as a profession, because it was more of a side thing for her. Soccer is her passion, not her profession, even though it's how she earns her money. In fact, the professional player studied medicine on the side at Aarhus University, specializing in reconstructive surgery. "I wanted to do something that I could use to impact people's lives," she explains. Medicine gave her that opportunity, and she graduated in 2021.

And that's not all!

Nadia also visits numerous refugee camps around the world and tells her story. As a role model, she wants to encourage people, inspire them. "I want to tell those who have experienced dark times that it's okay," she says. "Right now, it may be impossible to dream, but they shouldn't lose hope." 

She was even named a UNESCO Champion for Girls' and Women's Education for her role in promoting sport and gender equality, contributing to educational efforts for young people, advocating for girls' and women's education, and supporting the organization's efforts worldwide.

Taliban refugee, multi-talented and, above all, a role model. Nadia Nadim is more than just a soccer player. She inspires and motivates people all over the world. And most importantly, she shows that nothing is impossible.