By Alireza Akbari

Barely three months after giving birth to her son, Avash, Sareh Javanmardi was named Iran’s flag bearer for the 2022 Asian Para Games opening ceremony in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

After five days of intense and action-packed shooting at the prestigious sports event, the celebrated Iranian shooter stood on the podium with her three-month-old son to claim the silver medal.

Javanmardi secured second place behind compatriot Faezeh Ahmadi in the P2 – Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 event but captured millions of hearts by appearing with her newborn son on the podium.

Draped in attire featuring the Iranian flag, Javanmardi stood proudly on the podium with her baby boy cradled in her arms. In a touching moment that melted hearts, she placed her silver medal around his tiny neck and declared, “My main medal is my three-month-old baby.”

Speaking with heartfelt emotion at the ceremony, she said, “I’m so happy my child is here with me. This is my first competition since his birth and the first medal I get to share with him.”

Javanmardi further shared her aspirations for her son, saying, “I hope that in the future, he can follow in his mother’s footsteps and become a beloved hero for his people.”

It was a rare and inspiring moment of a successful female athlete proudly embracing motherhood alongside her sporting achievements. Her accomplishment was widely celebrated, especially given the limited time she had to prepare for the sports event due to her pregnancy.

Javanmardi not only celebrated her sporting triumph but also exemplified the incredible strength and love of a mother, inspiring millions with her dual roles as an athlete and nurturer.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei later commended Javanmardi for her “symbolic” act of showing up on the podium with her little child in her arms.

Javanmardi’s road to Hangzhou

Initially, Javanmardi had planned to sit out the 2022 Asian Para Games—held in 2023 in Hangzhou—due to the physical and emotional toll of pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

The seasoned shooter had even considered withdrawing from the road to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, prioritizing her health and family, as advised by her doctors.

“After announcing my withdrawal from Hangzhou in (2023), I had decided to say goodbye to my Paris qualifiers. I also didn’t expect any invitations. With my pregnancy and after giving birth, Hangzhou seemed like an unknown space. It took me a month to come to the conclusion (to resume competing),” she was quoted as saying after the 2022 Asian Para Games.

But destiny had other plans for her. Inspired by her infant son, Avash, Javanmardi made an audacious decision to defy the odds and return to competitive international shooting.

“If Avash wasn’t by my side, I wouldn’t have participated in the Games at all. The only reason I’m here is because of my child,” she said, crediting her son as the driving force behind her presence in Hangzhou.

Her husband also played a crucial role in her remarkable comeback to competitive shooting. In a display of unwavering support, he set up a 10m shooting range at home, allowing Javanmardi to maintain her training regimen during the later stages of her pregnancy.

“During my seventh and eighth months, I focused on dry exercises at home,” she stated.

With the support of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Iran, Javanmardi took to the stage at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, this time with her family standing proudly by her side.

The Games, held under the inspiring slogan “Hearts Meet, Dreams Shine,” showcased the spirit of inclusivity and the pinnacle of athletic prowess, uniting Asia’s finest para-athletes.

Representing Iran with pride, the Iranian delegation was aptly named the “Children of Iran” and marched under the slogan “Faith, Iran, Honor.”

Comprising 210 athletes across 16 disciplines—128 men and 82 women—the Iranian contingent embodied a spirit of determination. Leading this remarkable contingent, Javanmardi held the honor of being the flag bearer.

Two years later, the Iranian sharpshooter delivered another remarkable performance at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, cementing her legacy as one of the finest in competitive sports.

Competing in the P2 10m air pistol SH1 event, the 39-year-old dazzled on the global stage, clinching the gold medal with an outstanding score of 236.8 points.

The Tokyo 2020 gold medalist ascended to the top of the podium once more, leaving her mark on a competition that will forever remember her brilliance.

Following her golden moment in Paris, Javanmardi announced her retirement from professional shooting, bowing out at the peak of her career.

Speaking after the 50m pistol competition, she reflected on her decision.

“Today, I am saying goodbye to the championship world, a choice I made long ago,” she told reporters, marking the end of an extraordinary chapter in Paralympic history.

Javanmardi, Iran’s undisputed “Pistol Queen,” capped off a glittering career in style, etching her name in history as the most decorated Iranian Paralympian.

“I thank God I could return with my hands full one last time, making my people, family, wife, and child proud. It’s the perfect time to stop, at the peak,” she said after her golden triumph.

In Paris, he delivered yet another shooting gold medal—her fifth Paralympic title—capping an extraordinary journey that saw her dominate three consecutive Paralympic Games.

Javanmardi seized double gold in Rio 2016 and followed it up with a title in Tokyo 2020, before finishing with her crowning glory in Paris 2024.

Lauded by the Asian Shooting Confederation as “Iran’s Pistol Queen,” Javanmardi’s legacy as the greatest shooter in Iranian sports history remains unchallenged, a testament to her unrivaled dominance and unyielding spirit.

Javanmardi’s professional career

Born on December 8, 1984, in Shiraz, the Iranian female shooter defied the odds from the start.

Born with one leg shorter than the other, she embraced sports early on, but her path to greatness began most unexpectedly. Until 18, she was simply a gym enthusiast, unaware of the Paralympic world or her own potential.

Her journey took a pivotal turn in 2002, thanks to a welfare worker who introduced her to Paralympic sports, known in Iran as “veterans and disabled sports.”

That year, she explored chess, fitness, tennis, and sitting volleyball, but it wasn’t until 2006 that she found her true calling in shooting. Just two years later, she claimed her first international medal—a silver—at the 2008 Spanish Shooting Championship.

Javanmardi made her Paralympic debut at London 2012, capturing bronze in P2 (Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1). Her breakthrough moment came in 2014 when she was crowned Female Athlete of the Year by the Asian Paralympic Committee after clinching two golds at the Incheon Asian Para Games.

By 2015, Javanmardi was rewriting the record books, setting world records in P2 and P4 while dominating the World Cup circuit.

She entered the Rio 2016 Paralympics as one of the sport’s biggest names—and she delivered a performance for the ages.

In Rio, Javanmardi became a trailblazer, winning double gold in P2 and P4 with record-breaking scores. Her victories marked a historic moment: the first-ever Paralympic golds by an Iranian woman.

She shattered barriers and records alike, scoring 193.4 points in the 10m air pistol event, cementing her place in history as a pioneer for Iranian women in sports.

Her triumphs in Rio not only added two golds to Iran’s tally but also set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire athletes across the nation.

Javanmardi’s unparalleled dominance in shooting reached new heights at the 15th Paralympic Games, where she clinched gold in the 50m mixed pistol event.

Already a champion from Rio 2016, she arrived in Tokyo 2020 as the defending titleholder in the 10m air pistol SH1—and left with her legacy cemented.

In Tokyo, Javanmardi delivered a masterclass, not just retaining her crown but also smashing the world record to claim her third consecutive Paralympic gold.

Her dazzling 239.2-point performance in the final round left Turkish and Hungarian competitors trailing, adding yet another golden chapter to her storied career.

Her triumph secured Iran’s seventh gold of the Games and solidified her status as the most decorated athlete in the nation’s Paralympic history.

As a testament to her monumental achievements, Javanmardi carried Iran’s flag at the Tokyo 2020 closing ceremony, a fitting honor for a legend who continually elevated Iranian sports on the global stage.

Beyond the Paralympics, Javanmardi’s brilliance has shone at the World Championships. She claimed one gold in Croatia, two in the UAE, and another two in South Korea during her illustrious career.

Her relentless pursuit of excellence also earned her election to the World Shooting Para Sports Athletes’ Council in 2024, a role she will hold through the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

She stands as a beacon of resilience and triumph, not just as an athlete but as an inspiration for generations to come.

Auctioned medal

In November 2017, Sareh Javanmardi took an extraordinary step, auctioning off one of her hard-earned gold medals from the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The proceeds went to victims of a devastating earthquake in the Iranian province of Kermanshah straddling the Iran-Iraq border, which claimed over 600 lives.

“I consider it my duty to take a small step to help my beloved fellow compatriots who have suffered as a result of the quake,” she said, exemplifying the heart and spirit of a true champion.

Milestones

Javanmardi made history in 2016 by becoming the first female athlete from the Islamic Republic of Iran to win Paralympic gold in shooting Para sport.

Her triumph in the SH1 10m air pistol event at the Rio Paralympic Games marked a groundbreaking achievement for Iranian women in sports.

 She also etched her name in history as the second Iranian woman ever to claim a Paralympic gold medal in any sport, further solidifying her status as a pioneer for Iranian athletes on the global stage.

Three-time Paralympian Sareh Javanmardi has been named one of the newly elected members of the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) Athletes’ Council, where she will serve until the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.