In a remarkable display of resilience and determination, Morocco’s Fatima Zahra El Mamouny etched her name in history by becoming the first woman in the world to qualify for the Breaking competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This remarkable feat was all the more poignant as it unfolded against the backdrop of her father’s hospitalisation for surgery.
“I was really sad because I got the call on the same day of the African championship,” the B-Girl El Mamouny, as she is known during competitions, said. However, her father’s encouragement and unwavering support proved to be the driving force behind her victory. “He called me and said ‘if you want me to be in good health and want me to be happy, just do it and win it for me’. And I did it for him.”
El Mamouny’s triumph at the continental championships in Rabat showcased her ability to overcome societal perceptions and biases, including those of her own father, about women from North Africa competing in Breaking. “It was the greatest moment of my life,” the 25-year-old reflected. “He was watching me live [on a screen] at the hospital. It was so emotional.”
Watching with immense pride was Selma Bennani, the president of Morocco’s Federation for Aerobic, Fitness, Hip Hop and Related Sports, which oversees Breaking. Bennani’s journey has been marked by a long-fought battle to establish and promote the sport in a country where it was once met with significant resistance.
“Moroccan society did not accept it 28 years ago,” Bennani explained. “I was young and I’m a woman. Hip hop culture, graffiti, rap – it’s a man’s culture. So it was very difficult.”
However, Bennani’s perseverance and dedication have paid off, as El Mamouny’s achievement and the qualification of her compatriot, B-Boy Billy, have solidified Morocco’s position as a pioneering force in the sport’s inaugural Olympic appearance.
As El Mamouny prepares to take the stage in Paris, she is determined to inspire more women to embrace Breaking. “It’s going to have a good impact on Moroccans because if girls are scared to do breaking now because of how the community is looking at them, this will be a support.”
With the Olympic competition set to unfold at the iconic Place de la Concorde, El Mamouny’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, passion, and the transformative potential of sport. As she aims to reach the podium, her journey has already etched an indelible mark on the history of Moroccan and global Breaking.