The Bhutanese Leading the way.
26-year-old Kinzang Lhamo, a soldier in the Royal Bhutan Army, achieved something unique in the Paris Olympics. She came last but was applauded by the crowd as she had chosen not to give up like 11 other athletes who even stopped running. She received glowing coverage in the international press.
She defied the odds to become the first female athlete from Bhutan to compete in the marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Kinzang’s interest in running blossomed after encouragement from her superiors in the army, pushing her to explore her athletic potential. Despite her humble beginnings in a remote village and limited resources, her dedication and perseverance shone through.
Her impressive performance in Bhutanese marathons, including topping the 2023 and 2024 Bhutan International Marathon (BIM), caught the eye of the Bhutan Amateur Athletic Federation.
A surprise opportunity arose when she was chosen to represent Bhutan at the Paris Olympics, just six months after starting her guided training with the Federation. She was already selected to represent Bhutan for the Asian Games 2026. With the weight of her country’s hopes on her shoulders, she embraced the challenge with unwavering determination.
“I never imagined I would get this opportunity to participate in the Olympics. This was a golden chance to wave my country’s flag and name globally. The road to Paris wasn’t easy. Despite rigorous training, I faced setbacks, including illness and debilitating pain. My legs were swollen, I had blisters, and I even had to be hospitalized.”
Despite these challenges she refused to give up. Her dream and determination pushed her to the finish line, placing 80th out of 91 participants, completing the marathon in 3 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds.
“I started having cramps after 16 km and by the time I reached 30 km I couldn’t keep up the pace. I almost gave up at 40 km when I couldn’t move my legs anymore. However, I saw many international people and Bhutanese living in Paris cheering wholeheartedly for me, which further encouraged me to complete the race. The audience who was cheering up for me shouted for me to run. However, I knew that if I stopped running, I would fail to reach the finish line depending on my situation and regret my whole life. I decided then that by any means I have to finish the race waving my country’s flag, which I could fulfill.”
“We have a huge difference when comparing our country to others, be it in terms of training facilities, wearing running shoes, attire, dietary habit. On everything they are much ahead and prepared then us. Nevertheless, I am immensely grateful to the RBA, the federation for the training and the Bhutan Olympic Committee for this great opportunity. For me, whatever I saw and witnessed there is a knowledge for me which will help me in future.”
“At the back of my mind, I always had this fear and worry whether I can do it and make my country proud. However, representing Bhutan in the Paris Olympic was also an opportunity for me to secure the same opportunity for the future generations. So, I tried and made sure not to get disqualified, and tried my best.”
“This worry grew even bigger after witnessing the intense training regimens of international runners. Yet, despite these doubts, I found solace in the welcoming atmosphere and hospitality of the Olympic community.”
Kinzang shared that months of training are insufficient to prepare athletes for the demanding level of international competition.
Kinzang said, “Months of training is not enough. Years and years of training should be provided in future to have better results. Interacting with the participants, they shared that they have country exchange trainings, which is very helpful. Though education is important, it is as equal to note that such trainings should start from schools, especially those students who have interest in sports and are talented in such fields. They should be groomed from grass root level. Sports must be given equal priority too.”
“Also, as a female representative, I must say that most of us feel we are not capable enough and that we cannot do it. Particularly since the male population is dominant in sports, females feel we can’t. This should never be the mentally, as even His Majesty The King has said that it’s not about whether we can do or not, but whether we do it or not. HM has always pushed equal gender representation which has always motivated me,” she added.
She shared that during her high school years, she had opportunities to participate in sports, but she never took them, making excuses about helping her parents. She said that it was only after joining the armed forces that she realized her own potential and developed the belief that she could achieve anything with dedication and determination.
Despite her current commitment to her duties in serving the country with the outmost dedication, she remains hopeful about her future athletic endeavors.
She is really grateful that her hard work and dedication was recognized and appreciated by the world.
She completed her class 12 in 2016 from Ranjung Central School, Trashigang. She completed her Army Force training in August 2021 and started running in 2022 taking the top positions in the marathons including the Snowman Race that lasted five days where she stood 2nd position.
