Laurence Guyon is well-known when it comes to sports and performance. Former athlete in sport climbing, journalist, and coach, she is the co-founder of La Fabrique verticale, an online media about climbing and health, and the co-author of multiple training books in French.
Explore the inspiring journey of Afraa Mohammad, a stateless woman who is the first climber to join the Refugee Olympic Team for Los Angeles 2028. Her story offers valuable lessons in resilience. Welcome to another revealing installment in our exclusive series, “Women as Gems.” In this edition, we spotlight Afraa Mohammad.
Afraa Mohammad is stateless. Born in Syria, but of Palestinian descent through her grandfather, she arrived in France in 2017. It was here that she discovered sport climbing. With her background as a high-level gymnast and pro dancer, she quickly progressed. Today, she is the first woman climber to join the Refugee Olympic Team. But there's still a long way to go until the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
We met a climber with an atypical background. Afraa Mohammad was born and raised in Syria. At the age of 5, she discovered gymnastics and very quickly made a name for herself. She won several medals at national level until her coach realised that, because of her Palestinian origins, she could not claim Syrian nationality.
‘I was a stateless person’, says Afraa, ’without nationality. This meant that I didn't have the right to compete at national or international level. Because I wasn't considered to be Syrian. As a result, I no longer received support for my training and I had to stop competing when I was 15. I then turned to dance, which helped me to fill the void left in my heart by gymnastics.’
From Syria to France
In 2017, at the age of 18, Afraa fled Syria and came to France to continue her studies. There, she obtained a Master's degree in Architecture at ENSA - Paris-Est, the school of architecture for cities and regions. A brilliant career, considering the difficulties a refugee can face. ‘The stress of being alone, not knowing the language and not having enough money made it totally impossible for me to get back into dance or any other sport,’ says Afraa. It really wasn't a priority at the time’.
It wasn't until 2021 that she took up sport again, discovering climbing by chance. ‘My friend Alice invited me to try it out and gave me 10 tickets to a climbing gym. I loved it straight away and knew that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! So I officially started climbing in 2022. I haven't stopped since. And I did my1st outdoor 7b boulder in December 2023.’
Afraa Mohammad, climbing as a passion
From then on, it was one thing after another. In February 2024, Afraa began taking part in competitions in climbing gyms, with fairly good results. One thing led to another, and she realised her potential and began to think about competing at a high level again, an experience she had had in gymnastics but not yet in climbing, of course.
‘Right now, my goal is to climb an 8a outdoors,’ says Afraa. But above all, thanks to some decisive meetings, she sees the incredible possibility of taking part in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Afraa is the first refugee sport climber to be supported by the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing).
This is a significant step forward. Because, until now, sport climbing has not included refugee athletes. Unlike other sports that have established refugee Olympic teams. Like swimming, judo, cycling and even breaking. For all this, I am extremely grateful to Paola Gigliotti, from the IFSC, and Colette Armitage, from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), for their ongoing support, which has enabled me to envisage this project.’
A long road to the 2028 games
Paola Gigliotti, a doctor and honorary member of the IFSC in charge of humanitarian and social affairs, has played an important role in this story. As part of her duties, she has been involved in the Peace&Sport forum since 2007 and attended the UNESCO conference in Paris last April, where she met Afraa.
‘I saw the passion of this young refugee, an architect in Paris. And I thought of her as the first climber in a possible team for Los Angeles 2028. The french federation has shown a lot of willingness to help. But Afraa still needs a personal trainer to help her develop her skills. I've asked the IFSC and Silvia Verdolini (IFSC Sport Department) has obtained an Olympic scholarship from the IOC’. But it won't be effective until mid-2025.
Although Afraa is now the first refugee athlete in sport climbing, the road ahead is still long and full of pitfalls. Although she has the support of international bodies, she currently has no funding or sponsors to train with. She is still looking for the financial and human resources to carry out her Olympic project. Starting with a local trainer.
Afraa Mohammad: A precarious status
‘Being the first and currently only refugee to train for competitive climbing has a bittersweet taste. Because it highlights just how inaccessible climbing can be for many. However, the IFSC's decision to support me is extremely exciting for the climbing community. It's about representing refugees and inspiring more of them to take part in the sport. Until now, sport climbing had not yet taken this inclusive step.’
Climbing and ethnic diversity
It comes as no surprise to anyone that there is a lack of ethnic diversity in climbing, both at elite and amateur level. In a way, this can be explained by the image of climbing as a slightly ‘privileged’ sport, given the high cost of gym memberships and the average cost of equipment. The sport has become trendy. But minorities don't see enough people who look like them in the media or at international competitions. So it's hard to identify with them.
For refugees, access to sport is even more problematic. They are already facing daily challenges (learning a different language, surviving on limited financial resources, integrating into a new society, etc.). So even if you have the will to do it, breaking into climbing seems like a long shot. And from a purely performance point of view, it's highly unlikely that after a long integration process, they'll reach the top level. Because they are older when they finally have the time and money to invest in the sport.
So the fact that international federations support refugee Olympic teams is more a political choice than a sporting issue in the strict sense. The aim is to reduce the gap. The aim is to give refugees the same training conditions as other sportsmen and women, to limit inequality of opportunity. Giving visibility to refugees in international competitions also means recognising the enormous amount of work they do, without benefiting from the same infrastructure or the same support, to get closer to the top level.
Read more from Laurence Guyon
Laurence Guyon, Journalist, Author, Coach and Founder
Laurence Guyon is a former top-level athlete in sport climbing. She is known for having won the Arco Rock Masters in 1995, and she was Vice World Champion the same year. An accomplished sportswoman, she has stood on numerous podiums and won several World Cup stages between 1992 and 1997. Today, she is still an active climber and provides resources and support to climbers searching for progression. Up to 2014, Laurence has been working as a chief editor of a French climbing magazine. Now, she has taken up a central position at Fabrique Verticale with the mission of sharing training techniques and sources of inspiration
