ISLAMABAD: Mia Nuriah Freudweiler, the young Pakistani-Swiss alpine skier, has made it her personal goal to improve both gender equality and winter sport in Pakistan.

The 16-year-old skier recently achieved a great milestone by qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games 2020 to be held in Lausanne, where she will be representing Pak­i­stan as an alpine skier for slalom and giant slalom along with her mother, Tania, who is the Chief of Mission for the Pakistani team.

In an interview to a sports magazine this month, Mia said she want to change the world and wants to promote human rights and winter sports in Pakistan. “For long, women have been portrayed as weak and have not been given their due, I am keeen to do my bit to change that,” said Mia. “My goal is to empower young girls and to inspire Pakistani girls to independently pursue their goals, their hobbies.”

Born and raised in Villars, Switzerland, Mia said Pakistan has amazing mountains and skiing places. She hoped more Pakistani girls will develop passion for snow sports and represent the nation internationally.

“Perhaps I can become a skiing teacher in Pakistan and can teach the sport to young girls who could then compete internationally for their country,” she said.

“My father recently sent two tonnes of skiing equipment to Pakistan including ski boots, ski poles and skiis to a skiing school in Pakistan to promote the sport,” Mia disclosed.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2020