When Aneila Afsar first appeared on Gladiators, she made history. The popular BBC One show which pits gladiators against contenders in a series of physical challenges was rebooted last year and Aneila has made it to Saturday’s semi-finals. She became the first person ever to compete on the show wearing a hijab and says she gains strength from wearing it.
I love that I have the opportunity to go on this iconic show and inspire young Muslim girls, women from my community, and show them that there’s nothing we can’t do.
Many Muslim girls and women wear the hijab, an Islamic head covering, as a symbol of modesty. Aneila hasn’t always worn one, only choosing to cover her hair three years ago, and part of that was because she didn’t see other hijabis within sports.
The hijab can sometimes be a controversial topic in sport and at last year’s Paris Olympics, French athletes were banned from wearing one even though the International Olympic Committee allowed them to.
Since first appearing on Gladiators, Aneila says not everyone has been so positive about her hijab though. She’s posted about receiving Islamophobic and racist abuse on social media, but says overall it’s been heavily outweighed by the encouraging reaction.
That’s important to Aneila who says she wants to show “you can wear a hijab, be involved in fitness and still pursue your dreams”.
Gladiators will air on BBC One at 17:50 on Saturday 5 April.
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