Q LIFE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 14

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“ Everybody keeps telling me there is no going back … bronze, silver … next has got to be the gold,” said Mutaz Barshim, speaking to Q Life in 2020 as he prepared for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

The following summer, he etched his name into Olympic history by winning the men’ s high jump gold medal alongside Italy’ s Gianmarco Tamberi, a long-time rival and close friend. It was the first time since 1912 that an Olympic athletics gold medal was shared between two competitors.

After overcoming years of injuries and recovering from ankle surgery, Mutaz’ s shared gold triumph became a story of resilience, determination, and true sportsmanship.“ As sports people, we are very greedy,” Mutaz reflected on that moment,“ but I wanted to do something different.”

Building on his lifelong goal to inspire the next generation, Mutaz launched the What Gravity Challenge in 2024, bringing together eight of the world’ s best male and female high jumpers to compete. Since its debut, the What Gravity Tour has taken place in Qatar and Germany, showcasing rising talents and cementing Barshim’ s legacy as one of the sport’ s greatest ambassadors.

Today, Mutaz Barshim continues to prove that greatness isn’ t just about how high you jump – it’ s about how you lift up others along the way.