Who is Maria Toorpakai Wazir?

In this 2 Minute Podcast episode, we ask: Who is Maria Toorpakai Wazir?

Growing up in Waziristan, Pakistan, Maria Toorpakai Wazir refused to accept a future that kept girls out of sports. At four, she burned her dresses, cut her hair, and began living publicly as a boy named Genghis Khan. With her father’s support, she pursued weightlifting before discovering squash.

But athletic success brought dangerous attention. After her identity became known, Taliban threats forced her to spend years largely confined to her home, practicing against a bedroom wall while sending appeals for help around the world. Canadian squash champion Jonathan Power eventually answered, offering her a chance to train in Toronto.

The author of A Different Kind of Daughter, Maria now advocates for gender equality and girls’ education through sport. Discover the athlete whose determination to play became a fight for the freedom to choose her own life.