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Zakia Nassar, a 21-year-old dentistry student, is one of two women on the four-member Palestinian team at the Beijing Olympic Games.
"It has been my dream," said the Palestinian swimmer after posting a 50m time nearly eight seconds off the pace in the early heats. "It's fine to be here."
"It was really hard for me to train and to even get to the Olympics," she said.
Nassar did most of her training -- sporadically and without a coach -- in a 12m pool because she lacked a permit to reach the nearest Olympic-size pool in Israel.
"There is no pool in Jenin where I am studying," she said.
"So I can swim only once or twice a month when I go back to my parents' home in Bethlehem."
Nassar said it was often embarrassing trying to train at the public pool, with other people swimming and splashing around.
"Sometimes people cut across me, and others would get angry when I swam into them. But quite a few made way for me," she said.
"I got so depressed sometimes I couldn't help crying, but my parents and friends encouraged me, reminding me that I had to keep training if I really wanted to go to the Beijing Olympics."
It was only when Nassar arrived in China a month ago that she finally got the opportunity to swim in a 50m pool and enjoy the benefits of having a coach.
Despite the result for 79th place, Nassar said it was "the most beautiful moment" of her life.
"Participating in a race at the Olympics was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," she said.
"It felt like I was flying."
But she is not sure if she will go to the next Olympics.
"I won't compete unless I've done the right training. But as swimming is in my soul, I'll probably be a coach in my spare time," she said.
Profile of Zakia Nassar
Date of Birth: Apr. 2, 1987
Height (cm/ft in): 162cm / 5'4"
Weight (kg/lbs): 60 kg / 132 lbs
Place of Birth: Bethlehem, South Africa
Sport: Swimming
Event: Women's 50m Freestyle
(Complied from AP, China Daily and BOCOG) | 
