While practicing in Paris last week, Palestinian-American swimmer Valerie Tarazi reflected on her inspiration: watching Michael Phelps win eight gold medals in Beijing in 2008. “That was my first moment of ‘Oh my gosh, I want to be an Olympian’,” she said. For Tarazi, competing in Paris is a dream realized, but also a way to honor the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have died during the nine months of war in Gaza. “It’s me honoring them,” she stated. Born and raised in the US, Tarazi, who will swim the 200m individual medley next Friday, is part of the large Palestinian diaspora.
BBC