A local soccer star is being remembered for her tremendous success and impact on the next generation of young girls in the U.S. and abroad.
23-year-old Melika Mohammadi was killed in a car crash in her native Iran on Christmas Eve. She went to high school in Bethesda, and was playing professionally in Iran.
Mohammadi adored the beautiful game.
She radiated joy, and at a young age, had accomplished so much. But her sister Aida Mohammadi can’t help but wonder how much more she could have achieved if her life wasn’t cut tragically short.
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“Still I cannot describe my feelings. Words cannot describe my feelings,” she said.
Melika Mohammadi was playing for the Iranian national team along with a professional club there before the fatal crash. She was also a proud Iranian American, whose family moved to Bethesda when she was 13.
“She lived her life. All the things that she wanted to experience for the time being that she had–she experienced everything. And I’m glad that she got to experience what she loved,” Aida Mohammadi said.
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Melika Mohammadi was a star player at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, where she made the varsity team as a freshman in 2014 and helped lead them to a state championship.
“It was amazing for me to see how she grew up both as a person and as a soccer player during the four years that she had at Whitman,” her sister said.
After high school, she got a scholarship to play at Emory University. She had offers to play professionally with bigger clubs in Europe, but opted instead to play in Iran.
She wanted to pave the way for other women athletes there.
“It was short, but I’m hoping that she inspires the other women of her generation and the next generation to go after their love, to go after their passion,” Aida Mohammadi said.
A memorial ceremony was held for Melika Mohammadi in Iran’s largest stadium. Her family says it was the first time a tribute like that had been paid to a woman athlete in the country, and they feel both pain and pride as they honor her legacy.
“I love you more than anyone forever,” he sister said. “And I was, I am, and I will be the proudest sister forever.”
A memorial ceremony was also held for Melika Mohammadi at Walt Whitman High School a few days ago, where her former teammates and coaches paid tribute to her.
