Majlinda Kelmendi

Once upon a time, in the beautiful city of Peja, there was a little girl named Majlinda who dreamed not of being famous, but of being great. Majlinda grew up during a very hard time. The Kosovo War had shaken her country, and everything around her felt uncertain. But Majlinda had something stronger than fear: hope. 

Her family had always been passionate about sports. Her father had been a professional football player, and her mother had practiced karate. They both saw something powerful in their daughter. Even as a little girl, Majlinda was fierce. She had a quiet confidence in her eyes and a determination that could not be broken.

One day, Majlinda stepped onto a judo mat for the first time. She was just a young girl, but the moment she began to fight, something changed. She felt powerful. She felt alive. She didn’t just enjoy the sport. She felt at home on the mat. It was there that she learned about strength, not just physical strength, but the kind that lives in your heart. It was there that she began to believe that she could become something more.

She trained day after day, with her coach Driton Kuka, who believed in her more than anything. Even when she was only 15, Majlinda was already fighting against adults, and winning. She fought in countries around the world: in France, Morocco, Japan, and Brazil. She trained through injuries, pain, and exhaustion. But she kept going, not just for herself, but for Kosovo.

In 2012, Kosovo’s Judo Federation was officially accepted by the International Judo Federation. For the first time, the world began to recognize Kosovar athletes. Then, in 2014, the Olympic Committee of Kosovo was officially recognized too. That meant Kosovo could finally compete at the Olympic Games. When Majlinda was chosen to carry the flag of Kosovo at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she stood tall. She knew how far her country had come. And when she stepped onto the mat that summer, she fought with everything she had. She didn’t just win. She made history.

Majlinda Kelmendi became the first person ever to win an Olympic gold medal for Kosovo. She stood on the podium, listening to the national anthem of her country being played at the Olympics for the very first time. People around the world saw a new image of Kosovo that day, one filled with pride, strength, and hope.

“I wanted to show the world that Kosovo has good athletes,” she said. “Kosovo is important to me. It’s not just a small country with a war history. I wanted to show the good side, the side where young people do sport, where they succeed, and where they are creative.”

Even though her body was often in pain and her mind was full of pressure, she kept pushing forward. Her mentality was strong. She believed in hard work, discipline, and never giving up. Now, Majlinda is a coach. She works with young athletes, especially girls, helping them become confident in their own power.

She teaches them that being from a small country does not mean you have small dreams. She teaches them that gold medals are won first in the heart, before they are ever worn around the neck. She teaches them that Kosovo girls can achieve anything.

By Neve Clements