Born in Qatar, Tala Abujbara didn’t even know what rowing was until she got to university in the States, but this summer, she will be representing the gas-rich nation in Tokyo in the women's single sculls event.

Being a lone rower in a country mostly known for its desert landscape, aiming for a spot at the Olympics under the Qatari flag meant adapting from rowing in a team of eight to being on her own on the water.