IranWire

Raha Akhavan, an Iranian-American open water swimmer and university professor, grew up in Iran where she was barred from pursuing her passion to swim. Iranian women cannot swim without full-length clothing and they cannot swim in the same places as men.

When she moved to the United States, as an adult, Raha rediscovered the waves and also that embracing swimming helped her to embrace herself.

Today she has completed huge swims – including across the island of Manhattan – to raise awareness for Iranian women and the #WomanLifeFreedom movement, and now she’s planning on her great challenge yet: the English Channel.

Watch her story.