When Saman Soltani was asked if she could have a superpower, what would it be, she interjected with a strong and confident ‘I do’.
“I can motivate people,” she said.
The 28-year-old is not just a woman of words. Anyone who saw her races at the first International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged this year can attest to that.
In the Hungarian city, Soltani raced in the kayak single 200m, 500m, and 1000m, achieving personal bests in all three of them.
Click here for start lists and results from Poznan
Why is that motivating? Simply because she was on the boat, far from being fit.
“I raced in K1 1000m, 500m, and 200m – and in all three distances, I achieved my official personal bests. But here’s the truth: I got sick with the flu the day before racing started. I felt weak and far from my best,” she wrote on Instagram.
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“It was hard to accept – bad timing, bad luck. I struggled a lot to take a step back and remind myself: that this is also part of the game.
“It can happen to anyone. Learning to let go of what’s out of my control was tough, but also powerful.
“Still, I made the choice to show up and race – to prove to myself that I’m still here, still growing, and still fighting.”
Soltani's resilience after all that she went through to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 as part of the Refugee Olympic Team is more than enough inspiration anyway.
A multiple national champion in artistic swimming, Soltani switched to kayaking as the former was frowned upon for women in Iran.
However, she quickly developed a flair for the sport, winning continental medals and almost securing a ticket to Tokyo 2020 before COVID-19 derailed her plans.
In 2022, she returned to artistic swimming, with an invitational event in Barcelona but a social media post from Spain caused tensions back home, forcing her to flee Iran.
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Seeking refuge in Austria and with the support of her friend Uwe Schlokat, Canoeing Austria and the ICF, Soltani made it to the Games in France last year.
But in Szeged, she showed that she is here to stay for the long run.
“Don’t get me wrong – racing while sick isn’t something I recommend. Health always comes first. That’s why I made the decision to skip the 5000m race and protect my recovery,” she continued
“But this experience reminded me: sometimes, just showing up is the bravest thing you can do and it is absolutely a win. The fire I felt, the lessons I learned, and the strength I discovered are what truly matter.
“I’m still recovering, not yet fully healthy, but I’m already looking forward to World Cup 2 this weekend.
“This is your reminder to never stop believing in yourself. Not because it’s always easy – because it’s not. I got disappointed, I cried, I questioned everything more than once. But in the end, I chose to be proud of what I achieved.
“I chose to be grateful – for every step forward, for the strength I found, and for the people who stood beside me through it all. To everyone who supported me on this journey – thank you from the bottom of my heart.
“Dare to dream big – because dreams do come true. And even when life gets hard, keep going.”
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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