Introducing Rohia Ghausi By Mizgon Zahir Oct.-Dec. 1999 Lemar-Aftaab The Afghan Community is not often introduced to young ladies involved so vigorously in sport. But Rohia Ghausi must be commended and admired for her strength, courage and devotion to her love of sports and her dreams. In Rohia Ghausi's own words: I began running track in the 11th grade in the year 1992. I had participated in Junior Varsity Basketball and Varsity Basketball since the 6th grade. I stopped playing Basketball as soon as I began running track. I have participated in many races. Besides track, I also ran cross-country to get ready for track competitions. [I ran] many of the cross-country races for charity. Some included running for Women's Breast Cancer Children's Hospitals, and [other] fund-raisers. I participated in the California State meet. I placed 8th in [the] Over All In The Western States. I won my heat, meaning I won my race, yet placed 8th in the Western State Regions. In high school, I was not very good at [running] track. But, since it was a sport, I looked at it as a challenge which I had to over come. [During the race] I looked at the hurdles for the first time, and I remember the coach telling me, "This is the hardest event in Track and Field." And I told my coach, "I will master this event. Just watch." It was not as easy as I had thought. I had to train hard! I trained 6 days a week. My day off, I did easy drills, mental drills, and watched previous videotapes of my races to correct my mistakes. I started running the 330LH (330 Low Hurdles). Then, in Junior College, the coaches trained me in 110 HH. In College, there are no low hurdles, so I ran the 440 IH (intermediate hurdles). I trained extra hard! I lost track of my races, but I have raced in many states and all over California. I ran with a team from 1993-1995. I did really well, but I was still not at a University level, so I had to work harder. That summer, I broke through with some good times, and I was offered scholarships from University of Utah and from the University of California Riverside as well as Cal State Bakersfield. I did not want to move out of state, or far from home, so I took the scholarship for Cal State Riverside. Cal State Riverside is a Division II school. I was enrolled as a Biology major. [Since] the 110 HH are a little more dangerous and injury prone, I made 440 my main event. I did really well as a runner in that school, and was approached by an USA Track and Field coach who was a professional coach at world class level. [He coaches] the New Era Track Club (NETC) and his team included great athletes. I trained with both the school and the NETC, but unfortunately, I got injured while practicing. I had to take a couple of months off and just work out lightly. As soon as I got better, I started racing again. It was off season but there were [still] many races in the Valley in LA. It was there that the coach of Cal State University Northridge, who is a division I coach, approached me. He offered to let me run the last two years of the track seasons there. I decided to switch to CSUN since it is close to my home and I could train with the same coaches that I had trained with before. At the same time I would be in a Division I school, the highest division in Track and Field. I trained with my coaches in the Valley. Track became a professional sport to me, and school was getting more intensive, therefore I finished my running season at CSUN and decided to go professional and compete on my time. I ran while at CSUN and continued my school and also ran with the track club in many races that included all Olympic athletes. NETC was the team who changed me and made me grow up as an athlete. I became a different runner. It was not about winning; it was about getting my techniques right and being a flawless runner to compete in the Olympics. My goal now included going to the Olympics to represent my Country, my Land, my Afghanistan, which would set records in the Almanac. I would have been the first female Afghan athlete to go into the Olympics. I would have been the first runner, the first 440 IH hurdle and over all changed history for our country. That became my ultimate goal and I worked hard to get there. The coaches who trained me did not charge me due to my love for sport and my fight to get our country in the book of Olympics as a country to be noted. I was very blessed and grateful to the coaches who became my teachers, my parents and helped me grow as an athlete and as a human being. The coaches included Blackman Inhm of Nigeria, James Harvery of LAVC and Richard Hardin of LAVC. These were the main coaches I was training with for the Olympics. However, Afghanistan refused my name as an Olympic runner. They refused me because of my clothing and my sex. I was hurt and I said to myself, "These American coaches have worked so hard to get Afghanistan's name in this book, and yet Afghanistan itself refused me. Although I was disappointed, I am definitely going to continue track and in the future will have my own track club. I will seek out young runners and help them achieve their goals. I was lucky [in that] I had great help from my coaches, but to be an athlete is expensive, and I want to sponsor young athletes so we can excel as human beings. In closing, Ghausi stated, "As an Afghan woman, I felt proud and very appreciative of the opportunities I was given through my sport. It was not easy, but I think when you love something, and want it with a passion, end results are astonishing." Every community that is struggling to steer their youth into a positive path can learn and be encouraged by the success of Ghausi and by the drawbacks of her career. Hopefully, her ambitious nature will set an example for all to persevere and never give up-- no matter what obstacles may stand in the way. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Past Sunlight Feature: Yalda Asmatey (April-Sept. 1999) Copyright © 1999 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.