# خلف الميداليات…قصة إنسانة | Julyana Alsadeq | TEDxUniversityofJordan

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iDfHZ7iWbA
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/-iDfHZ7iWbA
Generated: 2025-12-04T16:41:48.184+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The speaker, Jordanian Taekwondo athlete Julyana Alsadeq, recounts her journey from childhood doubts fueled by societal pressure regarding her hijab and sport participation to achieving significant success, including winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2018 and qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, ultimately proving that mental strength cultivated through perseverance can overcome perceived limitations.

**Key Points:**
- The speaker, Julyana Alsadeq, started Taekwondo from her father and brother's encouragement, initially living the sport's details from the heart of determination, overcoming doubt and fear.
- She experienced significant external pressure and scrutiny, including questions about playing Taekwondo while wearing a hijab, which she initially could not answer.
- Despite having an injury (broken wrist in 2019) and mental hurdles, she resolved to continue her training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
- Alsadeq won a gold medal in Taekwondo at the 2018 Asian Games, one of several medals she achieved before this, which boosted her self-confidence.
- She emphasizes that strength is not innate but grows with every step taken, noting that mental strength is key, especially when the physical body fails.
- The speaker qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, solidifying her success despite facing societal expectations that her path was impossible.
- Her core message is that perseverance creates miracles, and one must not let external doubts or internal struggles stop them from pursuing their goals.

![Screenshot at 00:41: Julyana Alsadeq shows a picture of herself as a young athlete wearing her Taekwondo uniform and holding several medals, illustrating her early dedication to the sport despite challenges.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/-iDfHZ7iWbA/00-00-41.png)

**Context:** This TEDx talk is a personal story delivered by Julyana Alsadeq, a Jordanian Taekwondo athlete. The presentation centers on her struggle to reconcile her commitment to a demanding sport like Taekwondo with societal expectations, particularly concerning her religious attire (hijab). She discusses the internal and external battles she faced—from physical injuries to psychological doubts cast by others—and how her resilience and mental fortitude ultimately led her to major international achievements, including Asian Games gold and Olympic qualification.

## Detailed Analysis

Julyana Alsadeq begins her talk by framing her journey around the question: "From the heart of determination, how do we translate the question?" She recounts that every injury and tear in her life was a question she had to answer, especially as every operation made her doubt herself. She shares that from a young age, she lived by the phrase: "From a girl who challenges, to a girl who embraced pain, fear, and doubt... Is it possible for the disabled girl to become a champion?" She notes that her father and older brother, Yazan, who trained her, always guided her, but she was unsure where she was going because she didn't fully grasp the true meaning of sport. She admits that she loved the challenge, but she was not entirely sure of the direction, especially when facing external pressures from people who thought a veiled girl playing Taekwondo was impossible, or that the sport was only for physical movement and not a way of thinking. After years of training, she faced significant setbacks, including an injury to her wrist in 2019 requiring surgery, and the psychological burden of feeling that her dream of competing in the Olympics was too heavy. She shares that she felt immense pressure and doubt, especially after failing to qualify for the Olympics in 2016. However, she realized that strength is not something we are born with, but something that grows with every step taken; mental strength is crucial, especially when the physical body falters. She continued training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, enduring physical pain and psychological pressure. She highlights that the loss itself could be a new beginning for a new path. She achieved success, winning gold medals, including one at the 2018 Asian Games, which gave her great self-confidence. She concludes by showing a slide for the Paris 2024 Olympics, stating that she qualified for those games too. She affirms that no matter how dark the path seems, light will find a way, and she proved to herself that nothing is impossible, urging others to find their inner strength.

### Early Life and Challenges

- From a child who challenges, to a girl who embraced pain, fear, and doubt
- Every injury and tear was a question that made her doubt herself
- Her father and brother Yazan were her initial supporters in Taekwondo.

### The Struggle with Perception

- Faced questions about playing Taekwondo while wearing a hijab, with people believing it was impossible for a veiled athlete to be a champion
- She questioned the true meaning of sport, initially seeing it only as movement, not a mindset.

### Setbacks and Resilience

- Suffered a wrist injury in 2019 requiring surgery, and struggled with the weight of her dream to reach the Olympics, failing to qualify for the 2016 games
- She learned that true strength grows with every step and is primarily mental, not just physical.

### Major Achievements

- Won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games and secured qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which built significant self-confidence.

### Concluding Philosophy

- Shared the slide 'Persistence creates miracles' and concluded that she proved to herself that nothing is impossible, encouraging others to find their light even in darkness.

![Screenshot at 00:02: Title slide for the TEDx event: TEDx University of Jordan.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/-iDfHZ7iWbA/00-00-02.png)
![Screenshot at 00:07: Speaker Julyana Alsadeq on stage presenting the first slide titled: 'From the heart of determination, how do we translate the question?' \(من قلب العتمة بينولد السؤال\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/-iDfHZ7iWbA/00-00-07.png)
![Screenshot at 00:42: Slide showing two photos: one of Alsadeq as a young girl in Taekwondo gear, and another of her with a group of athletes, titled 'The beginning and the first leadership' \(البداية والشرارة الاولى\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/-iDfHZ7iWbA/00-00-42.png)
![Screenshot at 03:43: Slide showing two photos: one of Taekwondo action and one of her holding a medal, asking the question: 'Does the dream deserve all this play/effort?' \(هل الحلم بيستحق كل هذا اللعب؟\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/-iDfHZ7iWbA/00-03-43.png)
![Screenshot at 09:07: Final slide showing an image of an athlete in a Taekwondo stance with the Arabic text: 'Persistence creates miracles' \(الإصرار بخلق المعجزات\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/-iDfHZ7iWbA/00-09-07.png)