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Egyptian weightlifter star behind 'Lift like a girl'

This is the star of "Lift Like a Girl" –

young Egyptian weightlifter Zebiba.

It’s an award-winning film and now a Netflix show,

which highlights how impoverished young women take on the world of professional weightlifting.

The story follows the accomplishments and many struggles of now 21-year-old Zebiba

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) YOUNG EGYPTIAN WEIGHTLIFTER, ASMAA RAMADAN KNOWN AS ZEBIBA, SAYING: "The film is about my start since I was a young girl, weightlifting, until I became 18-19 years old. The film shows the training, my struggle, it shows the story of my life."

As a young girl she would brave the scorching heat and long hours of training in a rundown training centre in Alexandria

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with her old coach, captain Ramadan.

In 2014 the film’s director - Mayye Zayed – found that the ageing coach was still using this small vacant lot

to train aspiring young girls to become professional weightlifters.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF 'LIFT LIKE A GIRL' MOVIE, MAYYE ZAYED, SAYING:"For me, the idea of a young girl training in the street, which is unusual for people in Egypt, especially with weightlifting as we always imagine that it is a male-only sport. I was very interested in discovering these characters."

A marathon was held to mark the screening of "Lift Like a Girl."

Zebiba cheered from the sidelines.

The film’s won seven local and international awards

and was premiered in a number of international film festivals including Toronto and Cairo.

Eight Egyptian women weightlifters have won several Olympic medals since 2000.

Zebiba says while she and her peers have achieved a different kind of accomplishment.

"We train using the most basic equipment, we cannot be compared with those who are trained in the best of places. However, just with our own abilities, we are much better."