Sareh Javanmardi

Started: She took up the sport at age 18 in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran. (Athlete, 25 Aug 2021) Reason: She tried volleyball but felt that team sports did not suit her personality. She then moved on to individual sports like chess, table tennis, and athletics before settling on shooting. (paralympic.org, 30 Jun 2021; isna.ir, 07 Dec 2011) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (lahzeh.tv, 21 Nov 2021) Milestones: She became the first female athlete representing the Islamic Republic of Iran to claim gold in shooting Para sport at the Paralympic Games by winning the SH1 10m air pistol at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 03 Aug 2021; paralympic.org, 21 Oct 2016) At the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro she became the second female Iranian athlete to win a Paralympic gold medal in any sport when she triumphed in the women's SH1 10m air pistol event. (SportsDeskOnline, 21 Jul 2024) Awards: She was named as flag bearer for the Islamic Republic of Iran for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. (Asian Paralympic Committee Instagram profile, 19 Jul 2023) She was flag bearer for the Islamic Republic of Iran at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (tehrantimes.com, 05 Sep 2021) She was flag bearer for the Islamic Republic of Iran at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia. (paralympic.org, 01 Oct 2018) In 2014 she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Asian Paralympic Committee. (paralympic.org, 04 Dec 2014) Additional Info: MOTHERHOOD She originally planned to skip the 2022 Asian Para Games [held in 2023] in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, and postpone her campaign for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris due to pregnancy. However, she changed her mind, and won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games only three months after giving birth to her son Avash. "After announcing my withdrawal from Hangzhou [in 2023], I had decided to say goodbye to my Paris qualifiers. I also didn't expect any invitations. With my pregnancy and after giving birth, Hangzhou seemed like an unknown space. It took me a month to come to the conclusion [to resume competing]. My husband had set up [a 10m shooting range] at home and during my seventh and eighth months of pregnancy, whenever my physical and mental condition allowed, I followed dry exercises [shooting without bullets]. I could not shoot to protect my child from the shock of the gunshot in the closed environment. All athletes in the village [in Hangzhou] expressed their love with joy and happiness for Avash. Perhaps thousands of photos of him were taken. I know that eventually Avash and I will have to part ways from competitive sport at some point, but as a mother, I would like to experience the first and last Paralympics with him in Paris." (paralympic.ir, 03 Jan 2024) OTHER ACTIVITIES In 2024 she was elected as a member of the World Shooting Para Sport athletes' council, due to serve for four years until the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. (paralympic.ir, 03 Jul 2024; irna.ir, 03 Jul 2024) AUCTIONED MEDAL In November 2017 she auctioned off one of the gold medals she won at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro to raise funds for victims of an earthquake on the border between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq. The disaster killed more than 600 people. "I consider it my duty to take a small step to help my beloved fellow compatriots who have suffered as a result of the quake." (financialtribune.com, 16 Nov 2017; tehrantimes.com, 15 Nov 2017) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied for a master's degree in industrial management at Shiraz University in the Islamic Republic of Iran. (toootya.com, 14 Jun 2022; Athlete, 25 Aug 2021)