Sarah Attar, 1 of the First 2 Women to Represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics
Attar, a 28-year-old Saudi-American runner, competed in the 800m track and field event at the 2012 Olympics, becoming one of two women to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics for the first time in history (the other athlete was Wojdan Shaherkani, who competed in judo for Saudi Arabia). At the time of her 2012 Olympic appearance, Attar was 19 and a member of Pepperdine University's cross-country team in Malibu, CA. She'd been given a wild-card entry amid International Olympic Committee pressures for Saudi Arabia to allow women athlete participation, Running Magazine reported.
Attar came in last but finished to cheers from the stadium crowd. She returned to the US to continue her training for a race that was more her specialty: the marathon. In 2016, Attar again received a wild-card entry for the Rio Olympics. Representing Saudi Arabia, she became the first Saudi Arabian woman to run in the marathon event.
"My participation is bigger than myself," Attar told Runner's World after the 2016 Olympics, where she came in second to last in the marathon. "Finishing strong would speak to the importance of women's presence in the Olympics, and the strength anyone can have."
Attar recorded a PR of 3:07:16 at the Chicago Marathon in 2018. She is a photographer — the images on her Instagram are breathtaking! — and has spoken of her goal to run the women's marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, but her involvement in this summer's Games is unclear (POPSUGAR has reached out for comment and will update this article with appropriate information upon hearing back).
Follow Sarah Attar on Instagram: @sarahattar