Roya Karimi
Roya Karimi is an Afghan professional woman bodybuilding practitioner based in Norway.[1] In 2025, Karimi won golds at two national IFBB-Norway events, the Stoperiet Open (Wellness), NM - Norway Classic (Wellness) and European Championships.[1][2]
Personal life
BBC reports her age as thirty, as of November 2025. Karimi was married as a child bride in Afghanistan and was a teenage mother when she fled Afghanistan to Norway in 2011 with her mother and son, leaving her first husband behind. Karimi learned the Norwegian language.
In the beginning of her life in Norway, she studied and pursued a nursing career. She later married for second time, to her Afghan bodybuilder coach Kamal Jalaluddin, who inspired and supported her in pursuing a professional bodybuilding career. The BBC correspondent states that choosing of a new bodybuilding career was a quite a struggle and significant cultural shift for her, from native restrictive conservative cultural upbringing to a more liberal western cultural environment. For her sporting bikini outfits, openly showing her flowing hair and using makeup, she faced online criticism and threats.[1]
Bodybuilding career
During the COVID pandemic she began bodybuilding for health purposes at a gym, where she met another Afghan bodybuilder Kamal Jalaluddin who coached and inspired her for bodybuilding career.
She credits support from her husband and also from her son, and she dedicates her win to Afghan girls and women.[3]
Further reading
- https://www.ifbbnorway.no/dokumenter/2022SOH_Resultat.pdf
- https://www.argtimes.com/a/2878/
- https://theglobalherald.com/news/from-child-bride-to-the-world-stage-roya-karimis-journey-into-competitive-bodybuilding/
- https://observervoice.com/from-child-bride-to-champion-the-inspiring-journey-of-afghan-bodybuilder-roya-karimi-157375/
- https://future-afghanistan.com/roya-karimi-afghan-athlete-residing-in-norway-crowned-champion-of-the-2025-european-bodybuilding-championship/
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nowrouzi, Mahjooba (2025-11-11). "Afghan bodybuilder Roya Karimi on going from child bride to champion". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ "2025 IFBB European Bodybuilding Championships April 30 May 5, 2025, Santa Susanna, Spain" (PDF). International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation ifbb.com. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ "Afghan bodybuilder Roya Karimi on going from child bride to champion". www.bbc.com. 2025-11-11. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
... I feel mentally strong and fully ready to give my all, hoping to make history by setting this record in the name of Afghan girls and women for the very first time. ...
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