The Fastest Girl in Somalia, directed by Teresa Krug, won the 2026 Audio Nonfiction Reporting Award - at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2008, 17-year-old Somali runner Samia Yusuf Omar stepped onto the Olympic track in Beijing wearing donated shoes, long black leggings, and an oversized white t-shirt. She finished last in her heat, but ran with such determination that she drew the loudest cheer of the race. That moment defined her life – but the world she returned to was collapsing. This narrative series tells Samia’s extraordinary story of resilience, ambition, and the perilous intersection of sport, war, and migration. Reported and narrated by journalist Teresa Krug, who knew Samia personally, the series blends first-hand accounts, archival Olympic audio, and original reporting to uncover both the promise and the costs of chasing the Olympic dream.
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Host: Teresa Krug
Lead Producer: Rebecca Seidel
Key art: Tatyana Alanis, French 75 Studios
Produced by: Goat Rodeo