As a child, Sangina Vaidya spent hours watching Bruce Lee movies. Like most Nepali children at that time, she was impressed by his kung-fu skills and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Unlike them, she was made of sterner stuff.

Sangina started with Wu-Su in her teens but a month into her training and after a few demonstration games, she turned to taekwondo. For the next 12 years she dedicated herself to the discipline and now it is paying off for the 29-year-old.

Sangina won gold medals for Nepal in the last two South Asian Federation (SAF) Games. Now she is getting ready for the ultimate challenge of her career as the first Nepali to formally qualify for this year's Olympics in Athens. Yes, we've competed before, but only in events such as swimming, shooting and athletics that allow 'wildcard' participants. Sangina is the only taekwondo participant from South Asia. Other Asians participating are from China and Malaysia.

Sangina gives her family full credit. "They were very supportive from the beginning and let me go when and wherever I needed," she says. Sangina wonders if restrictions put on young Nepali women by their families and society isn't partly why more girls don't compete.

Recently, six top Nepali business houses-Vaidya's Organisation of Industries and Trading House (VOITH), ICTC, Nepal Lever, Jyoti Group, Nabil Bank and Dabar Nepal decided to pitch in with financial aid for Sangina. This will help the Sports Council with expenses like visa fees, airfares, medical treatments, sports gear and a daily allowance. The corporate sponsorship will cover 85 percent of Sangina's costs, including an endowment fund and promotional expenses. "Sangina is our representative and we want her to feel Nepal is doing something for her. Maybe she'll bring home the gold," says Sabina Shakya of VOITH.

This week, Sangina is off to Korea to train in the lead up to the Olympics. The pressure is immense and every moment she can get away, Sangina is on her Yamaha heading for the hills to unwind. "My dream is to win a medal for Nepal," she says. "For me the future only stretches as far as the Olympics."

Sangina, and her country, certainly deserve a gold.

(Sraddha Basnyat)