Manizha Talash

Manizha Talash (born 2002) is an Afghan breakdancer. She qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics as a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.

Biography
Talash was born in 2002 and grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan. She first discovered breakdancing at age 17 through a Facebook video. She said that "When I saw a video online of a man just spinning over his head ... I immediately told myself: 'That's what I want to do with my life! She was able to get in contact with the man in the video and joined a breakdancing club in Kabul, called Superiors Crew, where she was one of 56 members and the only girl.

Talash was described by media sources as "Afghanistan's first female breakdancer," and she faced challenges as dancing is viewed negatively by many in Afghanistan. She continued breakdancing despite receiving opposition from her family and a number of death threats; her club was the target of bombings three times, with two going off and causing multiple deaths. The third was an attempted suicide bombing that was stopped by the police. Afterwards, the club was ordered to close for being a "major threat". Despite the difficulties, when asked whether she ever considered stopping, she replied: "I love breaking too much for that!"

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021 and outlawed dancing for being "un-Islamic", Talash and her younger brother crossed over to Pakistan, where they lived for one year. She then moved to Spain as a refugee with her brother and six other members of her breakdancing club. In 2024, through a friend, she was discovered by the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and was selected for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which featured the debut of breakdancing.

Personal life
Talash learned Spanish after moving to Madrid in 2022. Her mother, who had been living in Afghanistan, moved to Spain to rejoin Talash and her brother in 2024. She enjoys dyeing her hair and is working on a streetwear line inspired by traditional Afghan designs.