São Paulo – Lebanese Gretta Taslakian participated in three Olympics and holds 200 and 400 metres records. Although she continues to train, she stopped competing. The Lebanese woman has been living in Brazil for four years, where she has been dedicating herself to a different career as a chef.
Representing her home country, the sprinter participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England; the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China; and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
In 2018, with Lebanon facing economic turmoil, many people advised the former athlete to move to Brazil. In the country for four years, she first lived in São Paulo but is entering her second year in Ceará.
“The experience has been really cool, and the idea of opening a restaurant started from the first day I came here. So, I thought one day I would like to open a restaurant here in Brazil,” she revealed in an interview with ANBA.
Six months ago, the Lebanese woman put the plans into practice and opened Baytna, her restaurant, in Fortaleza, the capital city of Ceará. Her business focuses on authentic Lebanese cuisine. “I love cooking, I love Lebanese food, and unfortunately, Lebanese restaurants here don’t have the same true Lebanese flavor,” she explained.
To achieve her goal, Taslakian imports most ingredients, such as zaatar, sumac, sesame, and oil. The dishes are all crafted by the Lebanese woman, who is also active on her Instagram profile. “Today I don’t work [with the internet] as much as two years ago because I have the restaurant taking up most of my time. But I always talk about healthy living and eating because I am an athlete, and my job is to explain how we can be healthy and live well,” she highlighted.
In Brazil, the Lebanese woman lives with her husband and children and intends to expand her work with food. “If God blesses us, we want to grow more and open another restaurant. If not more than that,” she plans.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro