The tale of Nyousha Nakhjiri, Canada’s top-ranked flyweight boxer originally from Iran, is set to hit the big screen this weekend in the documentary “Constant Battles.” Despite the documentary premiere, Nakhjiri is currently competing in the 2026 World Boxing Cup in Foz Do Iguaca, Brazil after clinching the 48kg division title at the 2025 Canadian boxing national championships last year. Her aspiration is to participate in the Olympic Games.
In an interview with CBC Sports, Nakhjiri expressed her excitement at the prospect of representing Canada at the Olympics, highlighting the significance of the opportunity. Although officially representing Team Canada due to restrictions preventing her from representing Team Iran, Nakhjiri, a Canadian citizen training at Quinit Boxing in Vancouver, carries the spirit of Iran with her everywhere, aiming to symbolize Iranian women through her journey.
The challenges Nakhjiri faced, including anxiety and ADHD, as well as her mother’s past trauma of fleeing Iran, where women are prohibited from boxing, are central themes in the documentary showcasing her relentless pursuit to become the first Iranian-born woman boxer at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The film premieres at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival this Saturday.
Nakhjiri’s upbringing in Iran, where she grappled with societal norms restricting girls from engaging in active sports, eventually led her family to immigrate to Canada in search of greater freedom in 2009. Battling mental health struggles in her late teens, Nakhjiri discovered boxing as a means to cope, a sport that she quickly became passionate about and found solace in.
The documentary sheds light on Nakhjiri’s mental health journey through boxing, emphasizing the vulnerability and resilience required in the sport. Filmmaker Mackenzie Stannard, inspired by Nakhjiri’s story, documented her pursuit to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics over two years. Despite a setback in qualification, Nakhjiri remains determined, aiming for future competitions such as the 2026 Continental Championships and the 2027 world championships as stepping stones towards the 2028 LA Olympics.
For Nakhjiri, the opportunity to represent both Canada and Iran on the global stage holds profound personal significance, reflecting her pride in her heritage and culture.