A woman in a crystal-covered bikini shines under the stage lights.
His tanned, glowing skin highlights every line of his defined muscles, the result of hours of intense training at the gym.
Roya Karimi’s impeccable makeup and highlighted blonde hair were no different from a Miss Universe final.
It’s hard to imagine that just 15 years ago, she was a teenager forcibly married off in Afghanistan, mothered as a young girl, before fleeing in search of a new life.
Today, at 30, she is among the top bodybuilders in Europe and is preparing to compete in the World Bodybuilding Championships this week. She began competing professionally less than two years ago and her rise has been meteoric.
None of this seemed possible when Karimi fled Afghanistan with her mother and young son. At the time, she sought refuge in Norway, where she rebuilt her life, resumed her studies, graduated in nursing and met her current husband, also a bodybuilder.
Sport, she says, helped her break through social and psychological barriers imposed for years.
“Every time I go to the gym, I remember that there was a time in Afghanistan when I couldn’t even exercise freely,” Karimi told BBC News Afghanistan.
Her trajectory is marked by resistance to restrictive traditions, the reconstruction of identity and the attempt to inspire other Afghan women who live under severe repression.
Some of these restrictions already existed when Karimi still lived in Afghanistan – as a result of social norms –, but they have worsened since 2021, with the return of the Taliban to power.
Today, women in the country are prohibited from attending school after the age of 12, exercising most professions, traveling alone over long distances and even speaking loudly in public.
“I was lucky to get out of that situation, but many women still don’t have basic human rights, like access to education. It’s very sad and devastating,” says Karimi.
Search for another future
Years before the Taliban regained power, Karimi had already decided that he “didn’t want that life.”
The decision to flee in 2011, leaving her first husband behind, was risky for a woman in such a conservative society. It’s a period she doesn’t like to talk about.
In Norway, Karimi found a completely different environment. He needed to adapt to a more liberal culture, learn the language and get a job to support his family.
The first few years were difficult, but the effort paid off. She studied nursing and went on to work at a hospital in Oslo.
It was in the academy that the new turning point came. Training is no longer just physical exercise and has become a means of regaining self-esteem and redefining your identity.
There, she met her second husband, fellow Afghan Kamal Jalaluddin, an experienced bodybuilder and one of her main supporters.
“Before I met Kamal, I was already playing sports, but not at a professional level,” he explained.
“His support gave me the courage to follow a competitive path and break taboos. I believe that when a man supports a woman, incredible things can happen.”
Threats and offenses
A year and a half ago, Karimi left nursing to dedicate himself entirely to bodybuilding.
It was a risky decision, but, according to her, the main challenge was not changing careers, but learning to deal with freedom after years of restriction.
“Our biggest challenge was breaking the limits and molds imposed by others, unwritten rules justified in the name of tradition, culture or religion,” he said. “But when you decide to innovate, you need to free yourself from these constraints.”
The choice also brought problems.
The bikinis, loose hair and heavy makeup she wears on stage contrast with the social – and now also legal – norms that determine how women should dress and behave in her home country.
It is not surprising that his social networks are the target of criticism and threats of violence and even death.
She ignores the comments.
“People only see my appearance and the bikini. But behind that, there are years of suffering, effort and perseverance. These achievements didn’t come easily.”
Still, networks are a channel she values: they allow her to speak directly to Afghan women about physical health, self-confidence and rebuilding identity.
On the way to the world title
Now, Karimi is preparing to compete in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) championship, which starts this Thursday (13/11) in Barcelona, Spain.
She has already won gold in the Wellness category – focused on natural fitness, healthy appearance and discreet beauty – at the Stoperiet Open tournament in April.
He then won the prestigious Norway Classic 2025, which brings together athletes from all over Scandinavia.
These victories took her to the European Championships, which guaranteed her place at the World Championships.
“I feel a deep happiness and pride,” he said as he prepared to compete in Barcelona.
“It was an incredibly difficult journey, but step by step, I managed to win gold medals along the way.”
In the audience, her husband and son always accompany her.
“Seeing Karimi on stage is the realization of a dream we built together”, says Jalaluddin.
But, for her, this dispute represents something bigger.
“I feel mentally strong and fully ready to do my best, hoping to make history and dedicate this feat to Afghan girls and women for the first time.”
