Determined to bring home gold and make her family and country proud, Fatima Hassan stepped into the ring for the final fight of the Muay Thai world championships in Kosovo last month.
Despite feeling unwell, the 27-year-old Lebanese fighter from Baalbek pushed through and launched a relentless attack in the final round. With just 30 seconds left, she delivered the decisive blow to secure her second gold medal of the competition.
Fatima had already won gold in the technical discipline before claiming the title in the main Muay Thai competition, making her the first Lebanese athlete to achieve the double at the IFMA Senior Muay Thai World Championships.
But the medals meant far more to her than sporting success. They represented years of dedication, her family's support, and her determination to prove that women can thrive in a sport long dominated by men.
"Honestly, I'd never been as happy as I was then. I'd worked towards this dream for so long," Fatima tells The New Arab.
Discovering what she loved
Fatima's father introduced her to sport at a young age, encouraged her to try different activities, and taught her the basics of self-defence. She eventually joined a gym near his workplace, where she discovered Muay Thai.
"I didn't really know much about it at the time. They told me it was a nice sport and encouraged me to try it. I went, tried it and loved it," she continues.
At first, she had no ambitions to compete. She simply enjoyed training, but her coaches soon noticed her skills and encouraged her to enter her first competition.
"It hadn't even crossed my mind. I wasn't interested in fighting or hitting people. I didn't like that sort of thing," she recalls.
Her father encouraged her to try it, and after watching another Lebanese female fighter compete, Fatima decided to take the plunge.
She won all three of her first fights, giving her the confidence to pursue Muay Thai more seriously.
But not everyone understood her choice.
As a woman who wears the hijab, Fatima encountered comments from people who considered combat sports unsuitable for girls.
"As long as my father was happy with what I was doing and supporting me, I didn't care what society said or what anyone else thought," Fatima says.
"People would say it was a sport for boys, that I was behaving like a boy, or ask how I could play such a sport when it wasn't meant for girls. But none of it affected me. I loved the sport, and that was what mattered."
Her family's acceptance also took time. Initially uncomfortable with the idea of her competing, they gradually came to understand the sport as they watched her train and fight.
Today, she says, they are among her biggest supporters.
Two gold medals
Fatima's road to the world championships was not straightforward. She had stopped competing for three years because of injuries, although she continued to train and teach Muay Thai.
When the opportunity to compete in Kosovo came along, she knew it was a chance to fulfil a dream she had pursued for years.
Despite her experience, she had only three months to prepare specifically for the tournament.
She worked with several coaches, sought help from a physiotherapist and a doctor, and focused on preparing mentally to return to competition.
She also followed a strict routine, running every day and keeping up with her exercises.
"I went there feeling comfortable and confident. I knew I wanted to come back with an achievement that reflected all the work I'd put in. I kept telling myself that I was going to compete, win and come back with the result I wanted," she tells The New Arab.
Fatima competed in two disciplines: the technical competition and traditional Muay Thai, the main IFMA discipline.
The technical category, in which she competed for the first time, focuses on speed, movement, and technique rather than full-force contact.
She secured her first gold medal there. But the moment she stepped up to receive it stayed with her most.
"When I saw the Lebanese flag being raised, it was a completely different feeling. I actually started crying. I felt such pride. I can't really explain what went through me, but I remember thinking: I want to experience this feeling again in the main competition," she says.
The next day, she entered the main competition with a second gold medal in sight.
Friends and family back home followed her progress, while Lebanese and Arab supporters in Kosovo gathered to cheer on their athletes.
Fatima was also unwell. She had been sick for the three days leading up to the final, with a cough and difficulty breathing.
With each fight consisting of three three-minute rounds, she feared her condition could affect her performance.
"I knew this was my dream, and I was so close to achieving it. This was my last fight, and I had the chance to win a gold medal and make history for Lebanon," she shares.
When she entered the ring, she put her trust in God and focused on the fight. She spent the first round assessing her opponent before becoming more aggressive in the second.
"I was exhausted and struggling to breathe, but I wasn't thinking about that. My mind was focused on winning. The adrenaline was carrying me through."
By the third round, Fatima had decided she needed to finish the fight. Seeing her opponent struggle, she kept attacking, landing powerful punches until she knocked her out with about 30 seconds remaining.
"I had fought over the previous four or five days, competing every day, and I had made it all the way to the final. I told myself that this last fight had to be mine, and I did it," she says.
The two gold medals culminated years of training, setbacks, and a dream she refused to abandon.
"Honestly, I'd never been as happy as I was then. I'd worked towards this dream for so long," she says.
"This was the final dream I had set for myself: winning a world championship."
The physical toll became clear after the fight. Fatima said she struggled to breathe for around three and a half hours after leaving the ring and remained unwell for about a week.
But her focus had been on bringing two gold medals home to Lebanon.
Fighting for recognition
For Fatima, the achievement also highlighted the challenges women athletes in Lebanon face, where she says support remains scarce and male athletes tend to receive more recognition.
"There is practically no support. If someone is able to support themselves, or if they find someone willing to support them, that's already a very good thing," she says.
"I have to be strong and fight for every single achievement I make. And I'm not just talking about one fight. I have to fight for everything."
She believes women are just as capable as men, but their achievements are too often overlooked.
"Look at what I've achieved. No male athlete has done what I've done in this particular category. A woman has achieved it. I'm the first Lebanese athlete to do this, and I think people should pay attention to that. Why shouldn't they recognise women as well?"
Fatima hopes her success will encourage other girls to pursue their ambitions without allowing social expectations or fear of criticism to hold them back.
"I want girls to believe in themselves and have confidence in themselves. Set yourself a goal and pursue your dream," she shares.
"Whatever you do, people will criticise you. But when you succeed, everyone will applaud you and celebrate your achievement. So go after your dream and work towards it. Believe in yourself, have confidence, and give yourself the strength you need. If you do that, I promise you, you will achieve incredible things."
A win for Lebanon
Fatima's achievement carries particular meaning against the backdrop of years of conflict and uncertainty in Lebanon. She says many young people have struggled to imagine a future for themselves amid the country's difficulties.
"We've all felt at times that we can't do anything anymore, that we can't achieve our dreams or build our futures. I think all of us young people, girls and boys, have felt that," she tells The New Arab.
We're trying to pursue our dreams, our goals and our futures, but then everything comes to a standstill because of what's happening in the country," she adds.
Fatima says she eventually stopped following the news as closely, choosing instead to concentrate on her training and future.
"Despite everything we've been going through, I continued training and working towards my goals," she says.
"When I stood there and received the medals, I was overwhelmed. I tried not to cry because there were cameras around, but I felt that Lebanon deserved this. There is so much talent in Lebanon, and we are capable of achieving so much."
Looking ahead, Fatima hopes to fight one or two professional bouts, potentially competing for a title belt, before ending her competitive career.
She also plans to focus on architecture and develop her own gym, where she hopes to train a new generation of young fighters.
Louay Faour is a journalist at The New Arab focusing largely on the Levant, with a particular interest in Lebanese affairs
Follow him on X: @LouayFaour