Born and raised in Azerbaijan, Salhat Abbasova credits her father, an Olympic swimmer, for sparking her passion for sport. “Growing up, it was not really appropriate for girls to love sports or to be physically active,” Salhat recalls. “Outside of school, we were not encouraged to participate. There were very few opportunities for girls outside of the compulsory physical education classes at my school.”

Salhat participated in a number of team sports, but it was her prowess in handball that eventually led to a spot on the national team for the Soviet Union. Through this experience, she came to understand the unique power of sport to transcend cultural barriers. After her playing career, she studied Sports Administration, exploring the ways sport is used to build peace among nations. Salhat’s education ultimately positioned her to play a key role in hosting the 2015 Baku European Games, the first mega-sports event held in Azerbaijan. Two years later, she was named to the board of the National Paralympic Committee of Azerbaijan and Sport Management Program Coordinator for the Azerbaijan State Academy for Physical Education and Sport.