YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — American-Armenian athlete Allison Halverson has gained Armenian citizenship and will most likely represent Armenia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I am officially an Armenian Citizen! This is one of my proudest accomplishments!” the athlete said on Instagram on February 25, captioning a photo of her with an Armenian passport.
“Just over 100 years ago my ancestors faced some of the hardest times ever seen on this earth… many of them lost their lives in unspeakable ways, but my grandfather was able to narrowly escape the Armenian Genocide by dressing up as a young girl and taking a boat to Ellis Island. Without my ancestors’ sacrifices and courage, I wouldn’t be here today. I have fallen in love with this amazing, beautiful, welcoming, and strong country and am excited to see what the future holds for myself and Armenia,” she wrote.
